Harrison police release video of an officer using construction equipment to stop a stolen skid steer
By: A Harrison police officer commandeered a Department of Public Works piece of heavy equipment over the weekend to safely put an end to a dangerously escalating standoff. In the early morning hours on Saturday, the officer used the borrowed construction vehicle to finally halt a stolen skid steer that had rammed two marked patrol cars in Harrison and North Castle during an hour-long pursuit.
The incident began for Harrison officers around 12:30 a.m. when the North Castle Police Department reported that the stolen construction vehicle, a skid steer with a forklift attachment, was refusing to stop and had entered Harrison in the Park Lane area. The driver of the stolen construction vehicle then struck a North Castle patrol vehicle and a Harrison patrol vehicle at separate times, seriously damaging both police cars.
Officer Bisceglia skillfully (and carefully) operated the loader to disable the skid steer in the area of Lake Street and I-684. He was able to gently push the rampaging forklift off the road.
As seen in the police bodycam footage, other officers on the scene were then able to quickly take the driver and an underage male passenger safely into custody.
Chief John Vasta praised PO Biseglia for his decisive actions in obtaining and then operating the DPW loader to bring the encounter to a close. He noted that there was no damage done to the loader or skid steer, and there were no injuries to officers or suspects.
Kristin Hufnagel, of Fishkill, was charged by Harrison police with felony criminal possession of stolen property and felony criminal mischief. The 22-year-old was also charged with reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and reckless driving. Police said she also faces a slew of traffic violations.
Hufnagel will also face criminal charges from the Department of Environmental Protection and North Castle Police Department.