At least eight NYPD vehicles parked at a Bushwick lot went up in flames early Thursday morning in a suspected act of arson, police reported.
Law enforcement sources said the fiery incident happened at about 1:30 a.m. on June 12 at a parking lot on DeKalb and Central Avenues in Bushwick. The lot, located in the 83rd Precinct‘s confines, is typically used by the NYPD’s Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, which has its headquarters two blocks away from the site on Wilson Avenue.
Firefighters rushed to the scene to find eight marked and unmarked NYPD vehicles in flames. By the time firefighters finished extinguishing the flames, several of the vehicles had been totaled.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the fire was intentionally started by an unknown arsonist. While the motive remains unknown, the incident occured at a time of nationwide unrest over escalating ICE detainments, including in New York.
Sources familiar with the incident reported that a man wearing all black and a black mask was spotted hurling an object into the lot just before the fire broke out.
Police are continuing to scour the area for surveillance footage that may help them track the suspect down. So far, no arrests have been made in the case.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
This story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site amNewYork.
