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NYPD Patrol Car Kills Pedestrian In Queens, NYPD Investigating
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 21, 2013
Modified Feb 21, 2013
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 21, 2013
Modified Feb 21, 2013
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An NYPD officer responding to a 911 call in Queens fatally struck a pedestrian around 12:45 a.m. today. Investigators say the unidentified pedestrian was trying to cross 40th Avenue in the middle of the block between 10th Street and 11th Street when the patrol car ran him over. He was pronounced DOA at the scene.
The NYPD press office would not comment on the nature of the 911 call that the officer was responding to. The unidentified officer stayed at the scene and was not charged. The NYPD says the investigation is ongoing, but "there does not appear to be any criminality" involved.
One witness tells ABC 7, "His head was busted real bad. His legs was twisted. Everybody was saying, you know, that was it for him. He was still breathing a little. He was taking deep breaths, trying to hold on." The witness also said police at the scene "did nothing to try and help the man" even though he was still clinging to life. "They just left him lying in the street," the witness claims. "They wasn't trying to help him or anything. It's sad. Real sad."
ABC 7 also speculates that the police cruiser may have been responding to a report of an assault with a weapon in progress in the Queensbridge Houses. The report turned out to be unfounded.
Tagged
no criminality suspected
nypd
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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