Brawl Breaks Out After Teen Hit By Taxi In Midtown, Police Say

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A Midtown block descended into a chaotic brawl between teens and cops after a high school student was hit by a taxi, according to police officials and witness videos from the scene.

A teen student at PS 35 on West 52nd Street was struck in the intersection of Eighth Avenue after being let out of school around 2:30 p.m., police said. An NYPD spokesman said the boy, who is either 14 or 15, "darted" into the street and "ran into" the cab.

Students who witnessed the collision soon started forming a crowd in the intersection, prompting police officers who responded to the scene to attempt to disperse the crowd so traffic flow could be restored, an NYPD spokesman said. A brawl broke out between the students and officers as they attempted to disperse the crowd, result in five cops being injured, police said.

Four teens were taken into custody but were not charged, an NYPD spokesman said.

An NYPD spokesman described the student who was hit by the taxi as being "shaken up," but did not offer information about any injuries the boy suffered. Early reports from police indicated the student was aided and did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

A police investigation into the collision and brawl is still ongoing, an NYPD spokesman said. Police could not confirm if any students were injured in the brawl.

One taxi driver told the New York Post that his vehicle was attacked after teens mistook him for the cabbie who hit their friend.

"People are just jumping on my car," taxi driver Badal Roy told the Post. "Suddenly three, four guys punched my car and I didn’t say anything. And then four, five guys come up and start jumping and then I called the police."

PS 35 is part of New York City's District 75 program, which serves public school students with special needs due to conditions such as autism, emotional disturbances and cognitive delays. A spokesman for the city Department of Education said the city will allocate addition resources to the school in the coming days.

"The NYPD immediately responded to and addressed an incident that took place outside PS 35M. The safety of students and staff is our top priority and we will provide the school with additional support starting tomorrow," Department of Education spokesman Will Mantell said in a statement.