Posted on: December 15, 2024 12:30 PM

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Attorney General James office of special investigation releases report on death of Zabina Gafoor

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Zabina Gafoor, who died on February 17, 2023 in a motor vehicle incident involving members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Queens. Following a thorough investigation, which included interviews with involved officers and witnesses, review of security camera footage, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the involved NYPD officer committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges are not warranted in this case.

On February 17, 2023 at 8:32 p.m., an NYPD officer was driving a marked police car with sirens and turret lights activated while responding with other officers to a call of an “officer in need of additional units.” As the officer approached Bay 32nd Street, there was a car in front of him. The light at the intersection was green, but the car slowed down to make a left turn. The officer attempted to drive around the car by going into the opposing lane of traffic and passing it on the left, but the car turned left at the intersection, colliding with the police car. The police car’s momentum and the collision sent the police car diagonally across the intersection, where it struck Ms. Gafoor, who was standing just off the curb in the bike lane of Beach Channel Drive.

He took precautions before the collision by activating his emergency lights and sirens, and when the officer saw the car in front turning left, he engaged his brakes and steered left in an attempt to avoid the collision. In the seconds before striking the turning car, the officer had slowed from 73 MPH to just under 55 MPH. Therefore, OSI concluded that there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.

From AG