By Christina Santucci
An armed robbery suspect who was shot while Nassau police officers were attempting to apprehend him in Jamaica Estates Sunday afternoon was charged with attempted murder of a police officer after he allegedly pinned one cop with his vehicle while trying to flee, according to court documents filed by the Queens district attorney’s office.
Muhammad Ali, 21, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court Wednesday and ordered held without bail in connection with attempted murder and attempted assault charges, a Queens DA spokeswoman said.
Four plainclothes Nassau County Bureau of Special Operations officers had located Ali, who was wanted in connection with an armed robbery in Hicksville, L.I., earlier in the week, in front of 178-10 Wexford Terrace at 4:40 p.m., authorities said.
Ali was getting in a 2004 Lincoln LS sedan when the officers pulled up with a Dodge Charger in front of and a Jeep alongside the vehicle Ali was driving, the criminal complaint said.
After the officers identified themselves and displayed their police shields, Ali allegedly refused to get out of his car and began driving forward and backward, hitting parked cars in front of and behind him before turning the wheel toward the cops and pinning Officer Nicholas Brando between his vehicle and the police’s Dodge Charger, the complaint said.
Ali then allegedly reversed onto the sidewalk, hit another car and then began to drive toward Officer Kevin Higbie, who then shot Ali in the chest, according to Nassau police and the criminal complaint.
Ali was taken to Jamaica Hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries and Brando, whose legs were injured, was brought to North Shore Hospital in Manhasset, L.I., according to the NYPD, Nassau Police Department and the court document.
Brando’s legs were crushed in the incident, according to the criminal complaint, and a spokesman for the Nassau Police Department said Wednesday that he was still recovering in the hospital.
Reach managing editor Christina Santucci by e-mail at timesledgerphotos@gmail.com by phone at 718-260-4589.
