- BMW driver arrested weeks after viral Queens street takeover incident.
- Social media trends like “swimming” continue fueling reckless driving behavior.
- NYPD avoids chase, makes calculated arrest after investigating viral footage.
Street takeovers are nothing new. We’ve seen the trend spread across the entire USA. What isn’t so prevalent is reckless abandon in densely packed city streets, but that’s what New Yorkers are dealing with. Now, the NYPD is cracking down on those who treat the city like their personal race track. And just because they get away one night doesn’t mean the police aren’t hunting them down after the fact.
Back on April 18, a street takeover happened in Queens. Police released several videos and photos taken at the scene. While they didn’t make arrests on the scene, those images helped them find the suspects. First, authorities picked up 22-year-old Asil Assaidi for reckless endangerment, riot, criminal mischief, and other charges on April 23. They impounded two Infinitis from the event as well.
More: CHP Boxed In Dozens After Street Takeover Spiraled In Long Beach
Then, on May 1, a tip led them to a second suspect, Winston Pat, who police allege drove a BMW recklessly at the same event. “Here is video of Winston Pat endangering the lives of New Yorkers,” the NYPD said on X before reminding residents, “We will continue to take down these car meetups and crackdown on those creating this chaos.” The nature of these busts makes them unique and important nationwide.
Nobody got chased at triple-digit speeds, meaning nobody added danger to the situation in the name of enforcement. Instead, the NYPD did something that isn’t as flashy, called detective and police work. Then, they made sure to follow up, arrest, and charge associated individuals.
“These car meets will not go away unless there are real repercussions in the criminal justice system,” a department spokesperson said in a statement to the New York Post. “The NYPD will continue to dedicate significant resources to stop these dangerous and reckless events.”
Perhaps if sideshow participants know that they could end up under arrest days or weeks later, they’ll think twice about being involved in the first place. If convicted, these two individuals could face years in prison. That’s enough to make plenty of folks think first before doing a donut or two in an intersection.
