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NYPD officer suspended over bodycam video showing him kicking driver who allegedly rammed ‘full speed’ into fellow cop
Sahara Dula, 24 – who posted bail days after her arraignment – shared a clip Tuesday on Instagram of the moments after she allegedly barreled her Lexus into an NYPD cop on Park Avenue near East 71s…
nypost.com
NYPD officer suspended over bodycam video showing him kicking driver who allegedly rammed ‘full speed’ into fellow cop
By
Social Links for Amanda Woods
Published March 5, 2024
Updated March 5, 2024, 6:59 p.m. ET
An NYPD cop was suspended after getting caught on video kicking a woman in the head as she was being arrested for allegedly intentionally ramming into another officer — and then yelling “F–k these cops!”
Accused cop-attacker Sahara Dula, 24, on Tuesday posted the bodycam footage on Instagram showing a group of cops taking her down to the pavement moments after she allegedly barreled her Lexus into an officer on the Upper East Side in January.
“Get on the floor, get on the floor,” cops are heard saying as their colleagues tend to their wounded brother in blue on the ground.
At one point, one of the cops punts Dula – who was face-down on the street – in her head, the footage shows.
7 “Get on the floor, get on the floor,” officers could be heard saying before a group of cops took Dula down to the pavement.
“She went full speed,” one officer is heard saying of Dula seconds later, speaking into his hand-held radio.
The NYPD on Tuesday confirmed that the Jan. 17 incident was under internal review, and that the officer — whose name wasn’t released — had been suspended without pay.
Authorities have said Dula, who posted bail days after her arrest, was high on marijuana when she intentionally struck the officer on Park Avenue near East 71st Street — and later brazenly fessed up that it wasn’t an accident.
“I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him. I did it on purpose,’’ Dula told investigators, according to court papers.
7 One of the cops could be seen punting Dula – who was face-down on the street – in the head.
“F–k these cops! He wouldn’t move!’’ she screamed a few minutes after the incident, the documents claim — with a law-enforcement source saying Dula allegedly added, “F–k these cops, it’s a lesson to him, and hopefully he doesn’t want to be a cop anymore.”
Officers were in the area at the time investigating an unrelated robbery at a high-end clothing store and had closed off part of the road.
One of the cops can be seen in the video walking up to Dula’s Lexus to force her into the correct lane, as someone can be heard yelling, “Be careful, be careful!”
7 The officer seen kicking Dula has been suspended without pay, cops said.
Instead of stopping, the motorist hits the gas and strikes the cop head-on, causing him to roll up onto the hood of her car and land hard on the street, the footage shows.
The officer suffered a broken leg and bruising on multiple areas of his body, according to court papers.
7 The NYPD is conducting an internal review of the incident.
Dula was charged with first-degree attempted assault, attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, second-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment and operating a vehicle while ability impaired by drugs and reckless driving, according to the criminal complaint.
She was ordered held on $25,000 bail by Judge John Zhuo Wang at her Manhattan Criminal Court arraignment, prosecutors said at the time.
Dula, a Brooklynite whose lawyer said mentors kids to stay off drugs, posted bail later, her attorney, Patricia Wright, told The Post.
7 Dula struck the cop head-on, causing him to roll up onto the hood of her car and land hard on the street, another video shows.
“We condemn the actions taken by the officer after Ms. Dula’s arrest,” Wright said in a statement Tuesday.
“This incident raises serious concerns about the level of care individuals should receive post-arrest,” the lawyer added. “We hope a thorough investigation will be conducted into this matter, and we call for accountability in ensuring the rights and well-being of all individuals in custody.”
Asked about the case, a rep for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office would only say that it remains ongoing and that Dula is due back in court April 18.
Days after the crime, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry questioned why Dula wasn’t slapped with a more serious charge.
7 “I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him. I did it on purpose,’’ Dula told investigators, according to court papers. csuarez
“She tried to run down and kill a New York City police officer,” Hendry said. “She proudly admits it, but she still isn’t facing the maximum penalty. This kind of leniency has led to thousands of police officers being attacked and injured.
“We’re not going to let this case become just another statistic,” he continued. “We will be following up to ensure that a message is sent — if you attack and injure a New York City police officer, you are going to face the full force of the law.”
7 Dula will reappear in court April 18. LP Media for NY Post
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In a Tuesday statement, Hendry said the suspended cop is “entitled to due process.”
“However, that investigation does not change the fact that this individual admitted to intentionally mowing down a police officer with her car. She is also entitled to due process, after which she must face the full consequences for her actions,” said Hendry.
Dula may have dodged an attempted murder rap because of questions about whether she intended to kill the cop, law-enforcement sources told The Post.
The top rap is still a very high charge, carrying a minimum of 3.5 years to a maximum of 15 years, sources said.