A Pennsylvania man was shot and killed by a New York state trooper last year after a high-speed automobile chase.
The officer was charged with manslaughter on Monday. For the shooting of James Huber, 38, of North East, Pennsylvania, on February 12, 2022, Trooper Anthony Nigro was charged in state court in Buffalo. Nigro, a member of the state police for over 16 years, entered a not-guilty plea to first- and second-degree manslaughter and was freed on bail.
Huber was originally pursued by troopers who saw him traveling at speeds of up to 100 mph (161 kph) on Interstate 90 near Buffalo, according to the police.
Eventually, Huber stopped in Buffalo, and that’s when the fatal incident took place.
The state attorney general’s office released body camera footage showing Nigro approaching with a gun in front of him.
The state attorney general’s office has published body camera footage showing Nigro approaching the car and yelling at Huber to exit while brandishing his gun in front of him.
Huber motions for the officer to go while he is seated in the driver’s seat and says, “Go away.” Nigro clutches the hood of Huber’s sweatshirt as he makes an apparent reach with his right hand toward something inside the vehicle.
The automobile jerks backward, briefly pulling Nigro, as the trooper fires two shots before collapsing.
What Huber might have been groping for is unknown.
The vehicle crashed and came to rest on its side on a parking ramp after moving in reverse out of view of the cameras.
Huber, who was unarmed, passed away at the scene from gunshot wounds. Attorney General Letitia James’ office conducted an investigation into his death before charging Nigro.
While the conclusion was terrible, Trooper Nigro’s actions were in line with his training and the law, according to New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association President Charles Murphy.
Huber’s “dangerous” conduct “threatened the safety of innocent motorists on the Thruway and in the city of Buffalo,” Murphy claimed in a statement, which “justified Trooper Nigro’s actions.”
The New York attorney’s office is responsible for looking into any death brought on by a police officer, but charges in these cases are uncommon.
The department has collaborated, according to a statement from the state police.
At the time of the shooting, Huber might have been traveling to a rally in favor of Canadian truckers opposing COVID-19 vaccine restrictions, according to Cary Arnold, a Pennsylvania woman who shares a kid with Huber and spoke to the Buffalo News.
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
