A New York City woman is facing serious charges after purposely running over an NYPD officer on Wednesday.
Suspect Sahara Dula, 24, was driving her black Lexus on the wrong side of the road — and while reportedly high on marijuana — when she intentionally ran over the officer, according to the New York Post.
“I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him,” Dula later told investigators. “I did it on purpose.”
Watch footage of the incident below:
SEE IT: NYC Man Sahara Dula Arrested for Ramming Car into NYPD Officer on January 17, Faces Multiple Charges. WATCH pic.twitter.com/vV77SqmFvX
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) January 19, 2024
The officer seen above was reportedly trying to stop Dula from continuing to drive in the wrong direction. But instead of listening to him, she ran him over.
“The impact fractured the officer’s leg and left him with bruises all over his body, but he is expected to recover,” according to local station WNBC.
To Dula’s credit, she did remain on the scene after hitting the officer, though she did so while talking trash.
“F–k these cops! He wouldn’t move! F–k these cops! It’s a lesson to him, and hopefully he doesn’t want to be a cop anymore!” she reportedly yelled right after the incident occurred.
She’s since been 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.
Guess what happened next …
A judge cut her a break.
The Post notes that although Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Lucy Shephard asked for a $100,000 bail, Judge John Zhuo Wang set bail at just $25,000. The only good news is she hasn’t been able to afford even this lightweight bail yet.
Meanwhile, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said on Friday that Dula should have been hit with attempted murder charges.
“We’re glad that this individual is being kept in jail, but we don’t understand why she isn’t being charged with attempted murder,” he told reporters.
Listen:
As our @NYPD19Pct brother continues to recover after being intentionally run down by a car, PBA President Patrick Hendry asks why the driver — who proudly admits that she struck the officer on purpose — has not been charged with attempted murder. pic.twitter.com/oU8hemXfOM
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) January 19, 2024
“She tried to run down and kill a New York City police officer. 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,” Hendry added.
“We’re not going to let this case become just another statistic. 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,” he continued.
Many critics agree that she should face murder charges of some type:
How is this not attempted murder….
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) January 19, 2024
This was 100% INTENTIONAL
She should be charged with attempted murder!!
— Pismo (@Pismo_B) January 19, 2024
Charged with first degree “attempted” assault???? Only in NYC! What kind of person does something like this?
— The Big Guy get 10% (@RobGerundo) January 19, 2024
Sahara Dula would’ve be charged with attempted m-rder if she was white.
But since the NYC DA is funded by George Soros she’s only getting a slap on the wrist.
This is why the NYPD force has dwindled to its lowest size in decades.
They know local government is against them.
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) January 19, 2024
But law enforcement sources who spoke with the Post speculated that she wasn’t hit attempted murder charges because of the difficulty in proving that she intended to kill the officer.
She nevertheless faces up to 15 years in prison for the current set of charges, so that’s not bad.
Her prior arrest history includes one from March 2022, when she “destroyed property with a metal barrier.” Unfortunately, those charges were dropped for reasons that remain unclear.
According to the Post, she has also has an arrest record in New Hampshire.
“In 2020, she allegedly failed to stop at an intersection in the town of Henniker and struck another vehicle before she fled the scene but was quickly located,” the outlet notes. “She was also arrested on a simple assault charge after an incident at Concord Hospital in New Hampshire’s capital city.”
She’s also reportedly a BLM activist:
Sahara Dula, the woman who was arrested for hitting an NYPD officer with a car. A Palestine & BLM activist. https://t.co/Jf3R1VL1af pic.twitter.com/wOopQxyjft
— Dixie (@OSiiNT) January 19, 2024
During a court appearance, Dula’s attorney, Patricia Wright, revealed that her client suffers from bipolar disorder, receives regular mental healthcare treatment, and takes multiple medications.
Work-wise, she runs her own company offering mentoring services to troubled kids who are involved in drugs and gangs, ironically enough.
“My assertiveness, attention to detail, and passion are traits that I believe any employer would be happy to have,’’ her LinkedIn profile reportedly says.
And education-wise, she evidently has a criminal justice degree from New England College, ironically enough once again.
“As a child I wanted to learn anything related to Criminal Justice, I was intrigued by the Criminal Justice system and their responses to tragic events,” her LinkedIn profile continues. “As I grew older, I began to develop an interest in all things communications related writing, media, negotiating, proper speech etiquette.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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