Settlement Reached In Widow's Lawsuit Over Death Of Nassau Police Officer
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A settlement has been reached with the widow of a Nassau County police officer who was killed nearly five years ago.
It was March, 2011 and officer Geoffrey Breitkopf was shot and killed in Massapequa Park as he arrived on the scene where an armed man was also killed during a police pursuit, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.
The attorney's for Breitkopf's wife, Paula, filed a lawsuit against many parties, including the MTA because it was found that an MTA officer had fired the fatal shot.
No criminal charges were brought against the MTA officer in the case.
At the time, then-Acting Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice released an investigative report that said "police reasonably perceived threats of deadly force against themselves or others, and they acted accordingly."
Rice called the shooting unquestionably "tragic," but said criminal charges would have been unsustainable.
Now after 4 1/2 years, a confidential settlement has been reached.
"Closure is really something that never happens when you lose a loved one," attorney Jeffery Kimmel said. "But she's accepted the situation for what it is. She was definitely satisfied with the result."
The MTA released a statement, saying "This incident was a tragedy for everyone involved, and settling this claim was in the best interest of everyone involved."
