As the rumbling of a low-flying NYPD helicopter circling the Upper East Side woke residents early Monday morning, officers were searching for a domestic violence suspect who pulled a gun on his girlfriend during a dispute and then stole the woman’s car, police tell Upper East Site.
It was just after 3:15 am when officers responded to a 911 call for help near the corner of East 79th Street and First Avenue, where police say they were told a 40-year-old woman and her 38-year-old boyfriend got into a dispute that escalated in the middle of the night.
Images from the scene shows multiple police cruisers parked in front of 408 East 79th Street, along with officers spotted entering the apartment building at that address, however, the NYPD did not confirm the location.
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As the dispute escalated, police say the 38-year-old man pulled a gun on his 40-year-old girlfriend and threatened her before stealing the keys to the woman’s car and fleeing the scene in dark-colored sedan last seen on First Avenue.
The NYPD’s Aviation Unit quickly launched from its base in Brooklyn and sped to the Upper East Side, where the cops aboard the chopper spent the better part of an hour circling the neighborhood between East 70th and 106th Streets, east of Second Avenue, searching for the suspect.
If you live in that area, you likely heard the noise and felt the vibration from the NYPD helicopter perched just one-thousand feet overhead until about 4:20 am, when the search was called off and the chopper returned to its heliport.
The suspect is still on the loose and police say their investigation is ongoing.
According to the NYPD, its officers respond to roughly 230,000 domestic violence incidents citywide each year, translating to nearly 600 domestic violence calls per day.
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Specially-trained Domestic Violence Prevention Officers and Victim Advocates are available at the NYPD’s 19th Precinct, located at 153 East 67th Street on the Upper East Side. They can also be reached by emailing [email protected] or calling (212) 452-0663.
Survivors of domestic and gender-based violence can also call New York City’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-621-HOPE, for assistance with emergency shelter, temporary housing and other supportive services.
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