Officer who struck pedestrian in the Bronx will not be charged in her death, officials say
NEW YORK — A New York City Police officer who struck a pedestrian in the Bronx in 2020 will not face charges in connection to her death, the New York attorney general's office announced Friday.
The deadly accident happened on Oct. 5, 2020.
Sofia Gomez dies after being struck by NYPD vehicle
According to the attorney general's office, the NYPD officer was responding to a call for backup on the Throgs Neck Bridge and received a transmission stating "shots fired." The attorney general's office said the officer was in a marked vehicle, had his sirens on and his lights activated, and was driving over 60 mph.
Officials say as the officer drove through a red light at Pelham Parkway South and Wallace Avenue, he struck a pedestrian who was crossing the street in the crosswalk. According to the investigation report, the officer got out of his vehicle and rendered aid, and called for an ambulance.
The pedestrian, identified as Sofia Gomez, was taken to a local hospital, where she died three days later.
No criminal charges against NYPD officer in pedestrian's death
The attorney general's office launched an investigation, which they say included reviewing dashboard camera footage from both the NYPD vehicle and a civilian's vehicle, interviews with witnesses and the involved officer, and interviews with experts.
In the investigation report, officials say less than a second passed from the moment Gomez appeared in the officer's dashcam video and the moment she was struck by the vehicle, and video also showed the officer slowed down and veered to the left before hitting her.
In an interview with the Office of Special Investigation, the officer said it was like Gomez "came out of nowhere."
According to the attorney general's office, "a police officer who causes a death while properly responding in a police vehicle to an emergency cannot be charged with a crime unless the officer acts recklessly or intentionally," and their investigation determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
