Warehouse Fire Destroys 30 Years of Police Evidence, Including DNA

A fire broke out on Tuesday at an NYPD storage facility, reportedly leaving eight people injured and destroying decades of evidence, including DNA.

Gothamist reported that the fire occurred at the Erie Basin Auto Pound, where police store seized vehicles in addition to crime scene evidence. The three-alarm fire injured three firefighters, three EMTs, and two civilians.

According to CBS, officials said rape kits were not stored at the warehouse.

“The evidence goes back a long time, 20-30 years. Some of the evidence was also property from (Hurricane) Sandy as well,” NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey stated.

The New York Daily News reported that the fire destroyed the patrol car police officer Edward Byrne was in when he was assassinated in 1988 and the command post police officer Miosotis Familia was sitting in when he was fatally ambushed in 2017.

The cause of Tuesday’s fire remains under investigation.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:

Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most — your children.

[Featured image: FDNY video screengrab]