Jury finds ex-NY trooper guilty of manslaughter in 2020 chase that killed 11-year-old

KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — A erstwhile New York authorities trooper accused of ramming his conveyance into an SUV during a high-speed pursuit starring to the decease of an 11-year-old miss was convicted of manslaughter Friday astatine his 2nd trial.

Prosecutors accidental Christopher Baldner rammed the SUV doubly connected the New York State Thruway, causing it to suffer power and flip over. Eleven-year-old Monica Goods, who was successful the SUV, was killed successful the December 2020 crash. Baldner’s attorneys said the mishap occurred aft the SUV chopped the trooper disconnected arsenic helium pulled alongside during the pursuit.

A assemblage acquitted Baldner of execution and reckless endangerment charges successful November, but they deadlocked connected a second-degree manslaughter charge. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and a 2nd proceedings connected the lone remaining complaint began past month.

Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during Baldner’s latest proceedings that helium chose to “recklessly usage his patrol car arsenic a weapon” during the pursuit northbound of New York City. Defense lawyer Anthony Ricco argued it was the operator of the SUV — Monica’s father, Tristin Goods — who acted recklessly and caused her death, according to the Daily Freeman.

Baldner pulled Tristin Goods implicit for speeding connected the road adjacent Kingston the nighttime of Dec. 22, 2020. Goods, his woman and 2 daughters were heading northbound from New York City to sojourn family.

Baldner and Goods argued, and the trooper pepper-sprayed the wrong the vehicle. Goods drove disconnected and Baldner pursued.

Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner’s trooper car doubly during the pursuit. An mishap reconstruction adept for the defence testified that Goods mislaid power of the SUV erstwhile helium overcorrected aft “a precise insignificant impact,” the paper reported.

The ex-trooper retired successful 2022 aft astir 20 years with the authorities police.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.