Doctors Reportedly Reattach Severed Arm Of Teen Accused Of Robbing Man For Sneakers

On Friday, a teen had his arm ripped off in Brooklyn after being run over by an SUV driven by a man who claims the teen had robbed him for sneakers. The Post reports today that doctors at Brookdale University Hospital were able to successfully reattach 17-year-old suspect Zachary Sam's arm. Police couldn't confirm that, but the News cautions it was not immediately clear if the procedure worked.

Sam has been charged with robbery and criminal possession of a weapon, for the incident while his alleged victim, 39-year-old Phillippe Pierre, has also been charged with attempted murder. The lawyer for Pierre, a married father-of-three, argued in Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday that Sam got what was coming to him for pulling a gun on his client: “I don’t mean to be harsh, but I think Mr. Sam in a sense was getting what he deserved," defense attorney James Harding said, according to the News. “My client is an absolute victim in this case.”

This incident unfolded around 1 p.m. on Friday on E. 86th Street near Avenue M in Canarsie when Sam met Pierre so he could buy a pair of $190 Air Jordan 8 Retro sneakers off of him after arranging the meetup on Craigslist. Sam allegedly pulled a gun on Pierre in side his SUV and demanded the shoes for free. "He said, 'Make a move and I’ll kill you. You’ll do exactly what I say,'" Harding said in court. "I’m astonished (Pierre) has been charged ... He was trying to make an honest dollar for his family."

As you can see in the surveillance video below, Sam took the shoes and exited the car. Pierre sped down the block, made a U-turn, then slammed into the teen, pinning him against a metal fence.

The impact of the SUV apparently sheared off Sam’s right arm just below the elbow. “He was shaking," Harding said of his client. "He made a U-turn and tried to do three things at once,” including call police, avoid getting shot, and see where Sam went. Harding claims Pierre saw Sam "reaching into his pocket," so he "ducked and his car jerked forward ... My client was terrorized and terrified."

Witnesses said that after he was struck by the car, the one-armed Sam tried to run onto a city bus nearby. "Everyone is screaming, 'Come back, come back, your arm. You’re bleeding too much,'" one said.