NYPD helicopter circled the UES after domestic dispute turned into gunpoint robbery | Upper East Site, Flight Radar 24, Citizen App
NYPD helicopter circled the UES after domestic dispute turned into gunpoint robbery | Upper East Site, Flight Radar 24, Citizen App

NYPD Helicopter Circled UES after Domestic Dispute Turned into Gunpoint Robbery

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.

NYPD cruisers were seen parked in front of 408 East 79th Street | Citizen App
NYPD cruisers were seen parked in front of 408 East 79th Street | Citizen App

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.

ALSO READ | UES Scientists Confirm We’re All Tracking Dog Shit into Our Apartments

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.

NYPD officers were seen going into 408 East 79th Street | Citizen App
NYPD officers were seen going into 408 East 79th Street | Citizen App

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.

An NYPD helicopter circled the UES and East Harlem for almost an hour after the incident | Flight Radar 24
An NYPD helicopter circled the UES and East Harlem for almost an hour after the incident | Flight Radar 24

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. 

ALSO READ | Woman Sexually Assaulted in Front of Upper East Side Whole Foods Store: NYPD

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.

For updates around the clock, follow us on InstagramTwitter and Facebook

Longtime UES eyesore becomes showcase for student artwork | Council Member Julie Menin's Office, Upper East Site

Longtime UES Eyesore Becomes Art Showcase for Neighborhood Students

Upper East Side residents launch petition to oppose 'Congestion Pricing' tolls | Upper East Site

Petition to ‘Repeal & Defeat Congestion Pricing’ Launched by Fed-Up Upper East Siders