NYPD officers hit with Molotov cocktail and liquid chemical in face, police say

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A motorist hurled a Molotov cocktail at New York City police officers Saturday morning and doused another in the face with a liquid chemical during separate incidents, authorities said. 

The NYPD told Fox News that officers in Brooklyn attempted to pull over a 2000 Lincoln Town Car being driven by a 44-year-old man just before 8 a.m. When the driver is asked if he has his driver's license and vehicle registration, the suspect says no, according to police body camera footage.

The driver then attempts to get out of the car.

"Why are you getting out for?" the officer asks.  

Once the car door opens, the man throws an unknown liquid chemical in the officer's direction, which hits him in the face, police said. The driver flees and the officer backs away to his patrol car. 

Authorities put out a description of the man and his car and he was stopped by other officers a short time later. He allegedly threw a lit Molotov cocktail at their patrol car. The bottle bounced off the cruiser and shattered on the street, police said. 

The man then drove off and crashed a short distance away. Following his arrest, police discovered more Molotov cocktails, authorities said. 

The officer who was hit in the face with the unidentified liquid was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover, police said. 

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Patrick Lynch, the head of the Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents rank-and-file NYPD officers, said the incident is part of an anti-cop environment created by public officials. 

"This is the violent behavior that their anti-police rhetoric has inspired," he wrote in a message to officers. "Until politicians stop encouraging hatred and violence towards police officers, we must be prepared to face such attacks AT ALL TIMES, both on and off duty."

In a tweet, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said "Words matter" after the incident. 

"Words matter. Earlier this week we said that again after graffiti that proclaimed "kill cops" This morning..a Molotov cocktail thrown at an occupied marked police car Now more than ever is the time to come together, to move forward together," he wrote.