IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS TRAINING?

New York state trooper charged with manslaughter after shooting an unarmed motorist to death when he refused to get out of his car following a high-speed chase

 

By James Reynolds 

Daily Mail

June 6, 2023

 

This photo taken from body cam video recorded Feb. 12, 2022, in Buffalo, N.Y., shows the hands of state trooper Anthony Nigro pointing his firearm at James Huber as he approaches the car

 

A New York state trooper has been charged with manslaughter for shooting dead an unarmed motorist after he refused to get out of his car after a high-speed chase.

Anthony Nigro pleaded not guilty to first- and second-degree manslaughter at an arraignment in Buffalo on Monday and was released without bail.

The trooper's bodycam captured the fatal encounter with James Huber, 38, also in Buffalo on February 12, 2022.

Officers first spotted Huber, from Pennsylvania, speeding on Interstate 90 and pursued him at speeds that topped 100mph (161kph).

After Huber exited the highway and police broke off the chase, Nigro cornered the motorist on a street in downtown Buffalo, blocking his path with his cruiser. 

 

Nigro grabbed James Huber (pictured) by his jacket and tried to drag him out of his car before firing and killing him

 

Body camera footage released by the state attorney general's office shows Nigro, a nearly 16-year veteran of the state police, holding his gun in front of him as he approaches the car. 

He orders Huber to get out, cursing at him. Huber turns away from the trooper and says, 'Go away,' and then 'never,' and 'nope' as the trooper continues to yell at him to get out of the car, his gun just inches from the motorist's head.

Huber puts his hand on the car's shifter, as if to put it in gear. The trooper yanks on the hood of Huber's sweatshirt, then fires two shots and falls to the ground as the car lurches backward, briefly dragging him. 

The car moved in reverse out of camera range, crashed and landed on its side on a parking ramp.

The body camera footage shows Nigro running to the car. He radios, 'Driver's been hit. I'm fine.'

Huber died of gunshot wounds at the scene. His death was investigated by Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, whose office brought the charges.

The charges in the death of James Huber, 38, are a rare example of a criminal case being brought against an officer by New York's attorney general, who has the authority to investigate the lethal use of force by law enforcement.

The president of the union that represents Nigro defended him, saying the slaying was justified.

New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association President Charles Murphy also said in a statement that Nigro should not have faced criminal charges. 

He said Huber's dangerous driving 'threatened the safety of innocent motorists.'

'Our understanding and review of the facts in this case confirm that, while the outcome was tragic, Trooper Nigro's actions were in accordance with his training and the law, and that he was justified in his use of force,' Murphy said.

The state police said in a statement that the department has cooperated with the attorney general´s investigation and will continue to do so.

 

Anthony Nigro pointing his firearm at James Huber as he tells Huber to get out of his car

This photo taken from body cam video recorded Feb. 12, 2022, in Buffalo, shows the hands of  Anthony Nigro pointing his firearm as he approaches the overturned car of James Huber

 

Cary Arnold, a Pennsylvania woman who has a daughter with Huber, told the Buffalo News that Huber might have been heading for a rally in support of Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates at the time of the shooting.

Arnold wrote on a GoFundMe page last year the family was trying to raise funds for a 'proper burial and funeral' without burdening Huber's mother, who had reportedly lost two sons already.

'James also has kids who now have to bury their dad and live life without a father. Anything helps.'