MANHATTAN — The suspected heroin dealer who escaped police custody after slipping free of his handcuffs, stealing a police car and hitting a detective with it has been caught, police said.
Bryan McMenamin, 38, was captured in a sixth-floor apartment on St. James Place — in the shadow of police headquarters — at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday after investigators received a tip that someone fitting his description was there, sources said.
It was not clear what connection he had to the apartment he was captured in. No one else was arrested with him Tuesday, an NYPD spokesman said.
In addition to his original drug charges, McMenamin now faces charges of attempted murder, grand larceny, tampering with evidence, escape and resisting arrest, police said.
The ex-con evaded police capture for a little over half a day after getting out of his cuffs Monday night.
McMenamin had been heading to the 104 Precinct stationhouse about 7 p.m. in the backseat of a patrol car when the two detectives bringing him in pulled over and got out, they said, to help two other officers, according to sources.
While the investigators were distracted, McMenamin squirmed out of his cuffs, jumped into the driver's seat and drove off, according to sources and the NYPD.
One of the detectives was hit by the car as McMenamin raced off, sources said.
The ex-con, who served 8 years for robbery, ditched the car nearby and fled on foot, while the other handcuffed suspect stayed put in the back seat, sources said.
The detective was treated for minor injuries at Long Island Jewish hospital, police said.
