A New York state trooper was recently found not guilty of first-and second-degree manslaughter charges, involving the killing of an unarmed motorist after a high-speed chase in downtown Buffalo, New York that occurred two years ago. The Acquittal was carried out by Judge James Bargnesi of the Erie County Court, following a bench trial.
The incident, which took place on February 23, 2022, involved a high-adrenaline chase that spanned 45 minutes and reached top speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. The man pursued – James Huber, a 38-year-old man from North East, Pennsylvania – evaded capture by weaving through traffic and leaving a dent on the pursuing police vehicle. Upon reaching a dead-end on a downtown Buffalo street, Huber refused to depart from the vehicle, and in a drastic move, accelerated backward when Trooper Anthony Nigro attempted to extract him via the window. Consequently, Nigro, reacted by firing two shots at Huber, who was unarmed.
The case came under the review of the Office of the State Attorney General of New York, that holds the authority to investigate instances of lethal force used by law enforcement officials. New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, brought the charges against Trooper Nigro after a thorough review by her office.
During the trial, Nigro testified that he felt his life was in jeopardy when he discharged the shots, stating “I felt like I was going to get sucked underneath the vehicle; this man was going to kill me”. Judge James Bargnesi, finding Nigro not guilty, observed that he acted out of fear, not anger. 7news talked to the defense attorney, John D’Alessandro outside the courtroom, who stated: “[Nigro’s] only motive was to protect the people of Buffalo, and for that, he lost a year and a half of his life.”
Following the verdict, the sister of the deceased, James Huber, left the courtroom without offering any comments.
More details about the case can be found on the JURIST website.