ORLANDO, Fla. — The family of a man killed during an Orlando Police chase is demanding transparency.
56 -year-old Gerald Neal was struck and killed after state troopers said 30-year-old Dornell Bargnare lost control of his vehicle after a traffic stop while trying to get away from an Orlando Police vehicle.
FHP said both Bargnare’s car and an unmarked OPD vehicle hit Neal.
According to an Orlando Police Report, an officer in an unmarked vehicle began chasing Bargnare after he was found to have an unreadable license plate, which is seemingly against the department’s chase policy.
Read: Pedestrian dies after being struck by suspect during police pursuit in Orlando, troopers say
During a press conference Thursday, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Neal’s family called for the release of dash and body camera footage from the chase and fatal crash.
Neal’s family and community members also raised questions about the necessity and safety of such chases.
“This whole thing was avoidable. There’s been no accountability whatsoever,” said Neal’s daughter, Shaquail Neal.
8 of Neal’s family members attended the press conference where they described the 56-year-old as a hardworking man, the “fun uncle, a man who loved to sing, and someone who was well loved by family.
According to his family members, Neal was homeless at the time of the fatal crash only because he did not want to be a financial burden to family members.
The family stated Orlando Police Department never contacted them directly following Neal’s death and reiterated multiple questions about the circumstances of his death.
“The family needs transparency. The community needs transparency. Who was this officer? Why did he not follow the policies and procedures? Why was he chasing the person in the first place? And did it warrant such a dangerous, deadly high-speed chase?” asked Attorney Ben Crump.
Following the press conference, Orlando Police sent Eyewitness News the following statement:
[Orlando, FL] The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is leading the investigation into this incident. We want to respect the integrity of this investigation while remaining sensitive to the needs of those affected. As an agency, we send our condolences to the Neal family and will make every effort to meet with them.
Once FHP completes its investigation, the officer involved will undergo an Internal Affairs investigation to determine whether any violations of OPD’s Vehicle Pursuits and Apprehension policy occurred. If violations are found, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. As noted in our media release on February 20, Officer Christopher Moulton has been relieved of duty.
OPD’s Vehicle Pursuits and Apprehension policy is strong and aligns with most agencies in Florida. Orlando Police Department policies are routinely reviewed to meet standards and adapt to any necessary changes. Since January 2022, OPD has conducted 154,992 traffic stops. 3% of those drivers fled from OPD. Of those, five were deemed in violation of our Vehicle Pursuits and Apprehension policy.
We aim to be transparent, as we are guided by strict policies and procedures, and we will release information as soon as we are able without compromising the investigations. Regarding requests for dash cam footage, the vehicle driven by the officer was not equipped with a dash cam. However, as standard procedure, body-worn camera footage and additional documentation will be available once the investigation concludes.
FHP has indicated they would prefer OPD refrain from releasing the footage at this time. We want to reiterate that as FHP is leading the independent investigation, all follow-up questions should be redirected to them.
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