Exclusive: Father of man arrested in connection with drive-by shooting in Bronx speaks out
ALLERTON, Bronx (WABC) -- A family is demanding answers after they say their 18-year-old son, who was hurt in the chaos of a deadly drive-by shooting and crash in the Bronx, was arrested.
The teen was hospitalized when a car that was speeding away from a shooting in Allerton smashed into his car.
His father spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News after police showed up at the hospital to arrest his son.
He said the police first showed up at the hospital room to thank his son for stepping on the brakes, coming in between the gunman who was shooting at the police, but then came into the hospital room and arrested him.
Family cellphone video showed police kicking them out of their St. Barnabas Hospital room.
"The officers looked at my son and said, you know what, you did. And I'm like, how you know my son did that. Why would you just accuse him of saying that he knows what he did? You know, he was an innocent bystander. He was a victim. He was just driving home and he got caught up in the situation," the father said.
The 18-year-old was driving his dad's car on Monday night when a Honda Accord full of accused gunmen slammed into him while it was fleeing a fatal drive-by shooting in Allerton.
Surveillance video shows one suspect being thrown from the car, who had been hanging out of the window, shooting back at police.
Multiple weapons, magazines, shell casings and bullets were scattered in the street.
"So originally they were trying to find a connection with my son and the clip and the gun that was underneath the car. After that then they said, okay, they're not going to charge him for the gun, but he still has to answer for the clip that had two bullets in it," the father said.
"I feel like this is unbelievable. He was getting a whole different a whole bunch of different stories. One minute he was just being he was in the hospital. Next thing you know, he was handcuffed," his girlfriend said.
The 18-year-old was arrested in his hospital bed and charged with possession of ammunition matching the bullets used in the fatal drive-by shooting.
The family believes the clip may have been thrown from the Honda Accord, landing on the dashboard of the minivan through the busted driver's side window.
"He didn't touch it. He has nothing to do with it. He doesn't even know that it was there. He didn't even know that they charged him with that. He has no idea. He's totally clueless about what's going on," the father said.
The teen has no criminal history and is a recent graduate of Bronx Design with an endorsement in plumbing and was getting ready to go into his trade career.
The 18-year-old has not been arraigned.
The Bronx District Attorney's office says the investigation is ongoing.
His family says any minute in custody is too long as they fear for his safety.
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