Following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's claim that they were in a “near catastrophic car chase”, the New York police released a statement on the incident that happened after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left an awards ceremony in the city. The New York Police Department said in a statement, “On Tuesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
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“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in regard," the statement read.
Earlier, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said that the "relentless pursuit" lasted more than two hours by half a dozen vehicles.
“Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers,” the spokesperson said.
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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved," it added.
{{/usCountry}}“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved," it added.
{{/usCountry}}The couple left the awards in their SUV with a police escort, but paparazzi followed on motorbikes, cars and electric scooters, The Mirror reported.