A spokesperson claimed in a statement that the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were targeted by the paparazzi in a “near catastrophic car chase.”
The statement reportedly said that the the couple, and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland, “were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.” The statement claimed the “relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams seemed to indicate that according to a briefing he received, two police officers could have been hurt. But a police statement says, “The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
\u201cMore than 24 hours after Prince Harry & Meghan\u2019s office claimed photogs hounded them in \u201cnear catastrophic\u201d chase, @NYPDnews has yet to provide details/clarity about what happened. NYPD\u2019s response to follow up q\u2019s sent today? The same short statement they sent Tuesday. Not great.\u201d— Mike Sisak \ud83d\uddd2\ufe0f (@Mike Sisak \ud83d\uddd2\ufe0f)
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Reports seem to indicate that the trip involved leaving an event, eventually stopping at a police precinct, hopping in a taxi, eventually circling back to the precinct, and eventually leaving again.
According to the New York Times, Harry, Meghan, and her mother departed from the Women of Vision awards event where Meghan had been an honoree.
The Times reported that according to a law enforcement official who has knowledge about the issue, the group departed in a private security vehicle with a law enforcement escort but were unable to lose the paparazzi. They were then escorted to the 19th police precinct, the official reportedly claimed.
Taxi driver Sukhcharn Singh says he picked up Harry, Meghan, another woman, and a security guard outside the precinct, according to the Washington Post. Singh indicated that they were followed by two vehicles. “They kept following us and were coming next to the car,” he said, according to the outlet. “They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us.”
He took the passengers back to the precinct, he noted, according to the Times.
“I don’t think I would call it a chase,” he said of the experience, according to the Post. “I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared but it’s New York — it’s safe.” He estimated that the trip in the taxi was around 10 minutes long.
The group eventually departed the precinct with a police escort and no paparazzi on their tail, the Times reported, citing the official.
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