By John Annese
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — A pair of NYPD cops took an impromptu plunge into the waters off Far Rockaway to chase down a career car thief who jumped off a dock after being caught with a stolen vehicle, police said Monday.
The NYPD released video of the splashy Queens arrest showing suspect Matthew Swafford in the Atlantic Ocean struggling with one of the cops as water sprays around them near a rocky jetty.
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“We went through all of this for a stolen car?” that officer, Detective Jacqueline Demerest of the 101st Precinct, asked Swafford after finally taking him into custody, court papers say.
“Yeah, I know, it was stupid,” he responded, according to a criminal complaint.
The mayhem began when Swafford was spotted in a stolen 2025 Honda sedan near Beach 8th St. and Seagirt Ave. , about half a mile from his home, at 1:45 p.m. on Aug. 5 , according to police.
The car was stolen from outside a house in Midwood, Brooklyn , on June 28 , and when Swafford was caught behind the wheel it bore a North Carolina license plate stolen from a different vehicle, cops say.
When two officers approached Swafford, he climbed to the edge of a nearby dock at the East Rockaway Inlet and jumped into the water, cops said.
Video shows Demerest removing her equipment belt before jumping in to follow him.
“Take my belt!” she called out as her partner radioed for backup. Then she took the plunge, swimming out to catch the suspect who was paddling away.
The two fought, treading water and splashing each other before her partner swam in to join the fray.
Swafford was brought to shore and arrested.
He’s charged with possession of stolen property, attempted forgery of a vehicle identification number, unauthorized use of a vehicle, obstructing government administration and resisting arrest.
Swafford already had two cases pending in Queens Criminal Court.
In April the same detective, Demerest, busted him in a stolen Honda minivan and linked him to two other stolen cars and a stolen license plate, according to court documents.
And Swafford was busted on June 29 on a stolen Kawasaki motorcycle and had the keys to a stolen Honda Civic that was parked outside his Queens home, according to a criminal complaint.
Swafford is now free on bail in all three cases, including $45,000 bond in the watery Aug. 5 bust.
Police sources said he has 15 prior arrests on seven separate dates going back to 2017 for assault, robbery, grand larceny and possession of stolen property.
Attempts to reach Swafford were unsuccessful Monday and his lawyer did not return a message seeking comment.
The 101st Precinct covering Far Rockaway has seen a 51% drop in grand larceny of an automobile arrests this year, with 20 car thefts as of Aug. 3 compared with 41 by the same point last year, NYPD statistics show. Citywide, car thefts have decreased by 3.7% so far this year compared with the same timeframe last year.
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