New York State Attorney General Letitia James says a Troy Police Officer who caused the death of a fellow driver nearly two years ago will not be charged. The Office of Special Investigation released its report on the February 22, 2023 death of Sabeeh Alalkawi Monday. It says a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that officer Justin Byrnes committed a crime.
The officer slowed down from 88 miles per hour to 65 while approaching a red light as he responded to a 911 call just after midnight. Alalkawi was driving on Hoosick Street near 15th street and had a green light as he approached the intersection. Byrnes struck Alalkawi in the intersection.
James’ office says while the officer did cause the death, the evidence does not establish that Byrnes’ conduct was a “gross deviation from the standard” behavior of a reasonable officer in the same circumstances.
She adds that Byrnes had his turret lights on and turned the wheel in an attempt to avoid the collision, and there was no evidence that he was impaired by drugs or alcohol or using a phone while driving.
The report concludes that Byrnes did have his sired activated 6 seconds before the crash, which had been an earlier point of contention. The city and Alalkawi’s family settled a lawsuit last year, with the city agreeing to pay nearly $6 million.
