NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A teen used a rock to smash the windshield of an FDNY firetruck in the Bronx on Thursday then used a knife to attack two firetrucks with firefighters inside, police and fire union officials said.
Engine 90 and Ladder 41 were heading to an accident involving an overturned vehicle in the Bronx on Thursday morning when the large rock was hurled at the windshield of Engine 90 by someone standing at the edge of traffic near Boston Road and Pelham Parkway South, officials said.
The rock shattered the windshield, smashing glass onto the truck's chauffeur, who quickly hit the brakes, according to the Uniformed Firefighters Association, an FDNY union.
The union said the attacker then brandished a knife and started circling Engine 90, "stabbing and vandalizing the vehicle in multiple areas."
"He also began to attack Ladder 41 and attempted to enter the cabin of both apparatuses, where members were inside, but luckily his attempts were unsuccessful," the UFA said.
Uniformed Firefighters Association
Firefighters called police and continued to drive at a slow speed "to ensure the perpetrator was distracted and didn't attempt to attack civilians in the near area," according to the UFA.
When officers arrived, they chased the teen down the Bronx River Parkway and eventually caught up to him, with one of the cops pulling a gun on the teen, who then dropped his knife, police told the New York Post.
The teen was reportedly taken to Jacobi Medical Center for a psychological evaluation.
The UFA said both FDNY vehicles had to be taken out of service for repairs. Photos show the shattered windshield of Engine 90 and stab marks on Ladder 41.
No injuries were reported in the incident, but the UFA and the Police Benevolent Association, an NYPD union, said it was indicative of rising crime in the city.
"Attacks like these, unfortunately, have happened to multiple FDNY Firefighters and Apparatuses as of recent, either by rioters or by separate violent individuals," the UFA wrote on Instagram. "Crime and violence is on the rise in New York City and it is now affecting our firefighters from doing their job. Something must be done about this before it only gets worse."
The PBA wrote on Twitter: "The conditions on our streets are deteriorating rapidly. A perp threw an unknown object at an FDNY truck, shattering the windshield and attempted to enter the truck after brandishing a knife. We arrested the suspect, but the UFA shouldn't have to deal with this protecting NYC."
