An out-of-control correction officer at MDC Brooklyn — the troubled federal lockup which currently houses Sean “Diddy” Combs — chased a car for miles out of the jail’s staff parking lot last year and shot one of its occupants, federal prosecutors allege.
Correction officer Leon Wilson, 49, had no authority to pursue the fleeing BMW once it left the jail’s property line, but that didn’t stop him, federal prosecutors allege.
The rules of the road didn’t stop him either — he chased the BMW for five miles at dangerous speeds in a federal Bureau of Prisons minivan, running at least one red light, the feds allege.
About two minutes into the chase, he fired off three rounds, one of which wounded a passenger in the BMW, according to a criminal complaint. Wilson, who was on-duty, never reported the shooting to the NYPD or to officials at the jail or the BOP.
Court filings don’t indicate whether Wilson had any connection to the BMW or its occupants.
He was arrested Sunday, as is expected to be arraigned in Brooklyn Federal Court Monday afternoon. A Bronx resident, Wilson has worked for the BOP since 2000.
The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)
The bizarre chase happened in the early morning hours of Sept. 4, 2023, when Wilson was assigned to monitor the Sunset Park jail’s perimeter, according to the complaint. As part of his job, he’s authorized to carry a gun.
He abandoned his post briefly at about 4:30 a.m., getting into the BOP-issued minivan and driving to a nearby subway station to buy a MetroCard, the complaint alleges.
When he got back at about 4:42 a.m., a gray BMW with tinted windows pulled into the staff lot, the feds said.
He parked the van across the street and idled for about three minutes as he watched the BMW, then drove into the lot and pulled in front of the offending vehicles, according to the complaint.
The Beemer’s driver peeled off and Wilson gave chase, tailing the BMW to a spot near the Brooklyn Bridge about five miles away, the feds said. He went 55 mph in a 25 mph zone, blew past an e-bike rider and ran a red light, the feds said.
He squeezed off three bullets on Hamilton Ave. near the Gowanus Expressway, striking the rear of the BMW with each shot and wounding a male passenger, the feds allege. By 5 a.m., Wilson had returned to the MDC.
Wilson is charged with willfully depriving an individual of his constitutional rights while acting under color of law.
“Correctional officers are sworn to uphold the law but, as alleged, this defendant violated his oath and position by starting a dangerous car chase through the streets of Brooklyn ending with him shooting wildly at the passengers in the other car without justification, and wounding one,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Monday.
Wilson’s lawyer, Steven Lynch, declined comment Monday.
MDC Brooklyn has been plagued by violence, horrific conditions and severe staffing shortages for years, drawing scrutiny from judges in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Long Island.
Back in July, former correction officer Quandelle Joseph was sentenced to 2½ years behind bars for taking bribes to smuggle contraband into the federal jail.