Sunday night June 4, 2017 a police chase ended with cars and a man in flames. It began around 11 at night when Leo C. Pinkston, 48, of Jersey City, tried escaping a cop car after a stop light. The police continued to chase him down Tonnelle Avenue when he crashed while trying to switch lanes. Yet, the pursue continued now with the officers shooting at the car. It ended when Pinkston finally crashed into a utility pole and his vehicle combusted.
Amidst the flames, there was another car, uninvolved in the chase but a victim of the final crash. The driver of the car was dragged out by the police on fire. In a video taken by an observer, one can see how it appears that the officers pulled him out of his car, stomped on him, and continued to drag him onto the street. A union representing the police claims the actions were to put out the flames, yet that does not change the fact the innocent man is in critical condition being treated for burns, fractured ribs, and is scheduled for surgery this Thursday.
Pinkston is also currently in the hospital being treated for burn wounds at Jersey City Medical Center. He has been charged with a count of Eluding, and a second-degree count of Aggravated Assault. It is still unknown what the original intent of the chase was.
Steven Fulop, the Jersey City Mayor, expressed his intention to have the officers fired. He tweeted, “This is unacceptable. We’ll pursue termination + criminal charges as appropriate.”
