Long Island Houdini slips police cuffs over head, takes cop car for joyride

A Long Island man was busted for driving under the influence — then pulled a Houdini while left unattended in a cop car, slipping his cuffs over his head and taking the vehicle on a joyride, police say.He was eventually nabbed again in a cemetery, officials say.John Gibson, 37, of Copiague was first busted by state troopers at the scene of a crash on the Southern State Parkway around 5:25 a.m.Friday and suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, authorities say.He failed field sobriety tests and was cuffed and belted in the back of a patrol car.Gibson then “managed to slip his handcuffs to the front, freed himself from the seat belt, climbed into the front seat of the patrol vehicle, and drove off,” according to police.Troopers eventually located the stolen patrol car with the help of Suffolk County Police near a cemetery 3 miles away in West Babylon, cops said.

Gibson was nabbed in the cemetery, they said.The suspect racked up several felony charges for his illicit joyride on top of being caught driving under the influence, authorities said.His additional raps involved grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, unauthorized use of a vehicle, escape, resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration and unlawful fleeing of a police officer, cops said.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment in Suffolk’s 1st District Court, according to records....