A plainclothes Manhattan police officer miraculously survived being mowed down last night by a crazed man who may have been stalking him since an arrest two years ago, cops said.
The drama began when two members of the NYPD’s 6th Precinct Anti-Crime Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit, spotted a suspect sell drugs to two other individuals at about 11:48 p.m. on Washington Place, near Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.
The two cops, both 34, hopped out of their unmarked yellow taxi and went to interview the subjects, police said.
One officer, a four-year veteran, approached the dealer while his partner, who joined the force in July 2002, spoke with the two buyers.
The officer was questioning the buyers when Joseph Dellutri, 59, began videotaping with his cellphone camera, cops said. Dellutri allegedly got so close to the officer that his actions began to interfere with the investigation.
“He was right up in his face,” said one source.
The officer, who had his NYPD shield out and identified himself as a cop, commanded Dellutri to “step back,” the source added.
Dellutri complied – only to hop in his 2007 Dodge Caravan, stomp on the gas and aim the car at the officer, cops said.
The minivan slammed into the cop’s legs and pinned him against an iron fence with such force that the fence broke free of its concrete footings, cops added.
Dellutri backed up and went to hit the officer again, but he quickly dove for cover behind a nearby tree, cops said.
The officer’s partner ran over to his aid, and the three drug suspects fled during the ensuing commotion.
Dellutri’s bizarre behavior seems to stem from a previous run-in with the same narcotics unit about two years ago, cops said.
Dellutri was busted by the injured officer’s partner in a drug case that is now sealed, sources said.
After last night’s initial mayhem, Dellutri drove off, but the cops managed to briefly follow him while before the injured officer asked to be taken to the hospital. His partner rushed him to Bellevue, cops said.
Back on Washington, a phalanx of backup officers had converged on the scene and were interviewing witnesses when Dellutri, for reasons unknown, drove by, cops said.
Witnesses pointed out his minivan and Dellutri allegedly sped off.
Officers in marked car with lights and sirens followed Dellutri on West Street up to Jane Street, where he became stuck in traffic, cops said. At some point during the chase, he also hit another vehicle, cops added.
Dellutri ditched the minivan and ran before eventually being caught, cops said.
He was arrested and brought to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for a cut to his head.
Dellutri faces a slew of charges, including assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment, vehicular assault, obstructing governmental administration and a bevy of traffic violations, cops said.
The Manhattan DA’s office is expected to up the charges to also include attempted murder, sources said.