New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday it won’t bring criminal charges against an NYPD officer who sped through a red light and fatally struck a young woman in 2020. The decision comes after a 71-page report concluded that the officer, Ceasar Munoz, couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt he committed a crime.
Munoz took several precautions during the emergency response, including using his flashing lights and siren, which made it difficult to prove reckless driving. The report also noted that allowances for breaking traffic laws in emergency situations would have added to the prosecutorial challenge.
The officer claimed he was responding urgently and drove at twice the speed limit, even entering a bus lane. He said he slammed on the brakes but couldn’t stop in time after hitting 20-year-old Sofia Gomez Aguilon, who died three days later.
Gomez Aguilon’s family filed a lawsuit against the city, NYPD, and Munoz, which is still ongoing. An attorney for the family said they’ll review the report to understand how OSI arrived at its decision not to bring charges.
This case marks the oldest one still open at OSI, taking over four years to conclude, despite being an unusually long time compared to recent average case closure times of about 15 months.
Source: https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/11/09/attorney-general-letitia-james-no-charges-speeding-cop