Searing Man Kicked by Jersey City Cops After Pursue Completes in Flamy Crash Was Guiltless Bystander: Prosecutors

Jersey City officers are seen on movie and accused of kicking an virginal man on fire and the mayor wants them fired. Katherine Creag reports.

(Published Thursday, Jun 8, 2017)

What to Know

Movie shows an guiltless bystander being hammered by Jersey City officers moments after he was on fire, prosecutors say

The bystander’s family told News four that he has severe burns and fractured ribs; they say he was just heading to work

A union signifying Jersey City police said the officers were attempting to put out the flames and pull the man to safety

An guiltless man was hammered by cops after a police pursue and shooting that ended in a flamy crash in Jersey City Sunday night, prosecutors say.

The man seen on movie being kicked by officers on Tonnelle Avenue turned out to be a bystander who suffered burns in the crash — not the driver that police officers were pursuing, according to the Hudson County prosecutor’s office.

“Our investigators have reviewed the movie and we believe with certainty that this man is the bystander from West Fresh York who suffered burns, not Leo Pinkston, the individual pursued by police,” said a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop says he wants the officers fired.

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“This is unacceptable,” he tweeted Wednesday. “We’re IDing officers. We’ll pursue termination + criminal charges as adequate.”

He later told News Four, “I don’t think there’s any explanation that would justify their deeds,” Fulop said. “The entire pursuit that was previous to that flamy crash had questionable judgment calls from the officers, from the shootings to continuing to pursue the car.”

Prosecutors are continuing to investigate the movie, and prosecutors are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them at 201-915-1345.

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The police pursue began at Ocean and Cator avenues after eleven p.m., when the driver, identified as the 48-year-old Pinkston, fled police during a traffic stop. Cops pursued him down Tonnelle Avenue, and Pinkston got into a minor crash when he attempted to budge inbetween two lanes of traffic.

That’s when Jersey City police opened fire, however it’s not clear if anyone was hit by the bullets, authorities said. Pinkston kept going until he crashed into a utility pole a few blocks away and his vehicle burst into blames.

Another man happened to be driving along Tonnelle Avenue at the time of the pursue, and was critically injured when Pinkston’s vehicle combusted, authorities said at the time. Prosecutors now say that was the man in the movie being kicked by cops.

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A neighbor, Tom Evans, said he observed from his balcony as two cars slammed into the utility pole, then spotted emergency responders fight to pull someone out of a searing car.

The man who recorded the encounter on movie, Eric Roberto, told News four he witnessed the officers kicking the injured man and dragging him into the street.

“They didn’t help him, they just embarked kicking him and grabbing him,” Roberto said. “I don’t think they treated him the right way, and that’s not how you treat any human in this world.”

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The Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, a union signifying Jersey City police officers, said the officers were attempting to put out the flames and get the man to safety.

“Taking swift act isn’t always elegant, but this movie clearly shows that the officers acted quickly to extinguish the flames, and pull this man out of harm’s way,” JCPOBA President Carmine Disbrow said in a statement.

The burned bystander is being treated for his injuries. His family told News four Fresh York that he has severe burns and fractured ribs, and that he’s going into surgery on Thursday.

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“When I spotted the pics of my son being massacred, it was indescribable. He was just leaving home for work,” the victim’s father, Tomas Feliz, said.

Meantime, Pinkston is also being treated at a hospital and faces charges of aggravated onslaught and eluding. Prosecutors didn’t instantly say why police originally attempted to stop him, nor did they say why he may have fled.

A spokeswoman for Jersey City says city officials are working with prosecutors to identify the officers in the movie. The city will seek termination of the officers, “in addition to any possible criminal penalties in suitable cases,” said Jennifer Morrill.

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