A Hempstead man accused of fleeing a traffic stop in which an officer fired off a round was arrested in East Meadow Friday morning.
John Green, 27, was charged with unlawful fleeing of a police officer and leaving the scene of an accident without a report in connection with the early Monday morning incident.
Green was shot by a Hempstead Village police officer during the traffic stop. During the week, police would not release specific information about the shooting. On Friday, Hempstead Police Department Chief Michael McGowan spoke exclusively with News 12.
Chief McGowan says two police officers, who were on anti-crime patrol, saw a car driving "erratically."
After eventually pulling over for a traffic stop, McGowan says a woman got out of Green's car and ran into a home on Harvard Street. That's when the officers approached the car.
"They told the driver to turn off the car and put his hands on the steering wheel. And at that moment, the driver of the vehicle turned sideways towards the console…and the officer believed he was taking a gun out of the console and that's when he fired a round into the car."
He says the driver sped away and the car was eventually recovered.
Police say Green was shot once – the bullet entering and exiting his leg. McGowan says the car was not registered to Green and that he turned himself into his parole officer Thursday.
News 12 asked Chief McGowan if the shooting was justified.
"That is still under investigation, but the initial information I have is that this is a justifiable shooting," he says.
When asked if a gun was found inside the car, the chief says the vehicle was impounded and believes detectives have applied for a search warrant.
McGowan says the Nassau County Police Department would be searching the car. News 12 asked Nassau police if a gun was recovered in the car, but have not yet received an answer.
Green was issued a desk appearance ticket for the new charges and was held in custody for violating his parole.