New York State Trooper Anthony Nigro IV said he shot and killed an unarmed man after a high-speed pursuit because the man was “reaching” and putting the car into reverse, making him fear for his life.
But body cam video released last week (when slowed) shows that James Huber was reaching for the gear selector.
However, the courts have long given the benefit of the doubt to cops in situations where they have to make a “split second decision.”
Nevertheless, New York State Attorney General said her office is investigating the shooting and released the body cam videos last week.
The incident took place on February 12 when police say they spotted Huber “driving erratically” on an interstate highway, police told local media at the time.
They say he refused to stop when they tried to pull him over so they pursued him at speeds reaching 100 mph before he struck a police car and exited the interstate which is when they ended the pursuit.
However, they spotted him about an hour later in downtown Buffalo sitting in his car while idling on a street, talking to some pedestrians
“Get the f*ck out!” Nigro yells as he steps out his patrol car with a gun in his hands.
“Go away,” Huber responds and turns his head away from Nigro and reaches for the gear selector.
Nigro has one hand on Huber’s hoodie and the other holding his gun as he repeatedly tells him to “get the f*ck out!”
But Huber is refusing, repeatedly telling him “nope.”
Two gunshots ring out and Nigro falls backwards. Seconds later, Huber’s car can be heard crashing.
Then as Nigro gets up and runs towards the crash – ordering a witness to go way in the process – we see that Huber’s car is on its side on what looks like like some sort of exit ramp.
“Ah, you dumb ass,” Nigro says to himself in reference to Huber as he walks up to the crashed car with his gun drawn.
A couple of minutes later, another cop appearing to be a supervisor arrives and orders him to turn off his body camera.
Huber, 38, was likely on his way to the Peace Bridge rally that day in support of Canadian truckers protesting against vaccine mandates, Cary Arnold, the mother of Huber’s daughter and his lifelong friend, told the Buffalo News.
“Jimmy had a huge heart and would give anyone the shirt off his back. He will truly be missed and always loved,” Arnold told Erie News Now last month.
Watch the video of the shooting below. The three videos released by the attorney general’s office can be viewed here. One video is of the shooting and the other two are from inside Nigro’s patrol car during the pursuit.
