Loved Ones Of 87-Year-Old Man Killed By NYPD Car Demand Answers

Theauther Love

Relatives and friends of the 87-year-old man killed by a marked NYPD vehicle while taking his morning stroll in Brooklyn last Friday have trouble believing the department's claim that there was no criminality involved in the accident. Theauther Love was a WW II veteran and Baptist minister, and started to cross Eastern Parkway around 7 a.m. when he was struck and killed by the patrol car. "He walked every day and I just know he knew what he was doing," Love's pastor Reverend John Quincy Adams told NY1. "I know there is something more to this story and it just hurts my heart that he had to die like this."

Police officials have said that while the investigation is still pending, "there was no indication of criminality" at the scene. Love was pronounced dead on arrival at Brookdale Hospital. His son, Andrew, has also questioned the thoroughness of the report: "I know that traffic cop had to be speeding. That car wasn't going very slow. It went so fast it killed him instantly."

Parishioners of New Frontier Baptist Church spoke highly of Love at yesterday's services, and one described him as "Kind, loyal, and an excellent husband, good father, outstanding minister." Reverend Adams noted that Love could "sing the low songs that would lift the spirit of the people." He added, "I want them to investigate and find out if the traffic cop was wrong. And if they find out that he is wrong, then he should be punished."

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By Christopher Robbins in News on November 7, 2011 10:21 AM

Comments [rss]

edgie168

Don't meter maids work for NYPD?

kevd

Yes. But they are not "police officers" and are not referred to as "cops."

petey2

Despite gothamists attention grabbing headlines, it was not a cop, but a meter maid.

Guest

It wasn't a cop.

RammyH

Crosswalk, middle of the street, green light, red light, what?

Infuriating lack of details here.

cobalt5

not a cop people, read through the blatant spin here...a CIVILIAN traffic agent

Guest

Why stop the hate party?

theevilerone

If it were anyone other than a police officer driving the car, people would be talking about this as a horrible accident.

drew_o

Perhaps not an accident - but a case of negligence or carelessness.

That's why an investigations is needed. But the Blue Wall of Silence has been put up. Think about the character of the NYPD when Ray Kelly is running for Mayor.

UnrepentantFenian

IT wasn't a police officer, it was a meter maid.

CurmudgeonNYC

The names in this story are awesome: "Theauther Love" and "Love's pastor Reverend John Quincy Adams"

Fronko

Correction: the man was not killed by a car. He was killed by a police officer driving a car. If he had been shot, you wouldn't say that he was "Killed by a gun." You'd say that he was shot by a police officer, even if it was an accident.

Guest

Again, it was a traffic agent, not a cop.

Fronko

I am aware of that fact. The agent is still under the auspices of the NYPD and as such there ought to be a fuller investigation and and awareness that cars don't randomly kill people.

This isn't Transformers or Terminator...yet.

Guest

Also, can you tell me the counties in New York State that routinely charge drivers for hitting pedestrians? From your posts (from this and other stories), one would think NYC is unique in this regard.

If it is not unique (which I know it is not) then maybe it says something about the laws, rather than the police department.

Fronko

It's not about charging drivers. The driver may be completely innocent for all anyone knows. But that's the point - the NYPD routinely withholds information that would allow anyone, including victims' families, make judgments.

This is about the continued stonewalling of the NYPD and the "no criminality suspected" standard line of the department, when "the investigation is still ongoing" would be more appropriate.

Apparently NYPD didn't even notify the family after this happened and still won't release details to them such as whether or not the driver was speeding or ran a red light.

I also don't care how they do it elsewhere. If there's a shitty police dept in another county that treats victims' families this way, that doesn't make NYPD's behavior in this and other cases any less shitty.

Guest

In almost all posts about such tragedies, commentators say the driver should be charged. After that they say the NYPD didn’t charge the driver because the agency doesn't like pedestrians or bikers, or claim something equivalent.

My point was that under the law, it is extremely hard to charge a driver with negligent homicide or whatever other charge people dandy around in their comments. Almost every criminal lawyer will agree with that statement. The fact that people don’t get charged in other counties for the same accidents show it is not unique to the NYPD, and the anger you and others often show in comments should be directed at the law.

Also, the prosecutor has the final say whether a guy will be charged or not.

Guest

Then why did you say police officer in your post? That's completely incorrect.

Fronko

Because I made a mistake. Sorry.

This is really bothering you. More so, it seems, than a dead WWII veteran.

Guest

Not a big deal at all, but you were not alone in making that mistake and thus I wanted to reiterate that point. What happened to this individual is absolutely horrible, but I think that is something everybody will agree on.