County recognizes ‘Top Cops’ for arrest in Bellmore

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Two Nassau County Police Department officers were named as the January 2020 Top Cops for an arrest they made in Bellmore following a gunpoint robbery.

According to detectives, on Jan. 2 at roughly 4 a.m., Robert Wong, 21, of 41 Mellow Lane in Plainview, approached a male victim, who was sitting in his white BMW in the parking lot of Crunch Fitness. Wong asked the victim if he was his Uber driver, then displayed a handgun and demanded the victim get out of his car. Wong took the victim’s phone, wallet and keys, entered the BMW and fled the scene, heading north on Centre Avenue.

First Precinct Officer Melanie Matassa later spotted the BMW heading northbound on Henry Street in Bellmore and attempted to pull it over, but Wong refused and drove off. Matassa requested assistance, and NCPD Officer Emily Slack responded to the call.

Slack located the BMW on Bellmore Avenue and attempted to stop them. The vehicle proceeded onto Southern State Parkway, where Wong was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes. Wong then made a U-turn and attempted to exit the parkway at exit 25 in North Bellmore, but lost control of the BMW and crashed into a guardrail.

Slack engaged Wong, who was violently resisting arrest. Slack and other First Precinct officers used a taser to subdue and handcuff Wong.

While attempting to initiate the vehicle stop, Slack crashed into a nearby utility pole to avoid collision with the BMW. She sustained a wrist injury, and was later transported to an area hospital for treatment.

On Jan. 27, the Nassau County Legislature and the Police Benevolent Association recognized Matassa and Slack as the Legislative Top Cops for this month. When Slack spotted the BMW and Wong resisted arrest, “that’s when the training kicked in,” she told the Herald. Despite the honor, “we were just getting the job done,” she added.

PBA President James McDermott and NCDP Commissioner Pat Ryder attended and thanked the officers for their service before the group joined the entire Legislature on the dais.

During his arrest, detectives discovered that Wong was responsible for three other robbery offenses at the following locations:

  • Dunkin Donuts, 1068 Old Country Road, Plainview, Sept. 2, 2019.
  • 7 Eleven, 156 Covert Ave., Stewart Manor, Sept. 8, 2019.
  • Carjacking, 3265 Railroad Ave., Wantagh, Dec. 21, 2019.

Wong was charged with three counts of second-degree robbery for the 2019 offenses. He was also charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, three counts of second-degree robbery, second-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree fleeing of police officer in a motor vehicle and resisting arrest for the Bellmore incident. Wong was arraigned in Hempstead’s First District Court on Jan. 3.