Body camera footage recently released from a 2023 crash reveals that a police officer involved in a pursuit swerved into oncoming traffic on a Manhattan bridge, striking and killing a dirt bike rider.
Samuel Williams, 36, was riding an unregistered dirt bike recklessly through Manhattan when he approached the University Heights Bridge, heading toward the Bronx, on May 28, 2023, as reported by the police.
As Williams was navigating the bridge, a police officer, who had been chasing a group of reckless dirt bikers in the area, suddenly crossed the double yellow line, directly into Williams’ path. The collision caused Williams to crash into the police cruiser, sending him airborne, as shown in the body cam footage released by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office on Friday.
Patrick Hendry, President of the Police Benevolent Association, stated that Williams was driving recklessly when officers attempted to stop him.
“These police officers were doing the job they were sent out to do, trying to stop unregistered mopeds from being driven recklessly on the city’s streets,” Hendry reported. “This is a tragic case, but the investigation needs to look at all of the facts and circumstances.”
Attorney Jamie Santana stated that police focused on Williams for riding an illegal vehicle on city streets, a violation that should have resulted only in a traffic summons and the seizure of the dirt bike. Instead, the officer performed a dangerous maneuver that caused Williams to suffer a severe leg injury, ultimately leading to his death the following day at St. Barnabas Hospital.
As a result, Williams’ family is suing the NYPD in state court and is also calling on Attorney General James to file criminal charges against the officer, who is identified only by his last name, Perez, in the body camera footage.
“This was not a situation where there was a question of whether the officer’s life was in danger,” Santana said. “[Williams] wasn’t doing 100 mph … He wasn’t suspected of any felony”.
Other footage, which has not been released to the public but was shown to Santana and the victim’s family, depicts police detaining an injured and handcuffed Williams on the hood of a police vehicle as he pleads with officers to be allowed to lie down on the road, according to the attorney.
According to the bicycle advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, seven New Yorkers have been killed and at least 315 have been injured in police chases so far this year.
Police chases in New York City have increased under Mayor Adams’ administration, as authorities sought to combat the use of illegal dirt bikes and “ghost cars” — vehicles with fake license plates, explained NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell last year.
“Those days are over — people thinking they can outrun us,” Chell remarked.
As a result of intense criticism over police pursuits, the NYPD revamped its approach, instituting new policies that require supervisors to approve chases. This decision is now based on various factors, including the potential harm to public safety.
