“Avatar has nothing on me”
That’s how Police Officer Charisse Ellison accepted the 66th Police Precinct Community Council’s latest “Cop of the Month” award last week.
With an eye on the upcoming 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Ellison reflected on her own “Oscar” win declaring, “James Cameron can eat his heart out.”
“This is a proud moment for me,” Ellison told neighbors gathered at the offices of Community Board 12 on 13th Avenue on February 18. “The 66th Precinct is one of Brooklyn South’s best kept secrets, and I couldn’t think of a better community to protect and serve.”
The 66th Precinct, located at 5822 16th Avenue, encompasses the neighborhoods of Borough Park, Kensington and Midwood.
Deputy Inspector John Sprague, commander of the 66th Precinct, praised Ellison’s professionalism and attributed her and her partner’s actions to busting up a robbery spree along the D and M subway lines that had stretched from here to northern Manhattan.
“Due to their great work, quick thinking and great tactics they didn’t get hurt, no one else got hurt,” Deputy Inspector Sprague said. “They arrested these individuals and that pattern on the subway line has stopped.”
Ellison and her partner were out on patrol near 39th Street and 9th Avenue recently when a man exiting the nearby subway stop flagged them down and told them that two men had just robbed him.
That’s when cops saw two teens, who turned out to be 17, and 18, running away from the subway station, and gave chase.
“The two individuals aren’t going to stop – they keep running” Deputy Inspector Sprague said. “They follow them around the corner with the car – and they disappear.”
The two teens were actually hiding behind a parked car hoping to evade capture.
“Officer Ellison with her experience and tactics knew they just didn’t disappear into thin air,” Deputy Inspector Sprague said. “Now remember, this person just committed a robbery, they don’t know what weapons they have, what they’re capable of or how desperate they are.”
With that in mind, Ellison and her partner still split up and surrounded the car, successfully blocking off the fleeing teens’ only route of escape.
The cops were then able to put both suspects into custody without further incident.
The 66th Precinct Community Council meets the third Thursday of every month. The next meeting is March 18 at 7:30 p.m. For more information 718-851-5601.
