Sahara Dula, 24, is a New England College criminal justice graduate who wants to specialize in “crisis communication.” If so, she has a bit to learn after intentionally hitting a police officer with her Lexus and then declaring “F— these cops, it’s a lesson to him.”
A video captures Dula driving the wrong way on Park Avenue near East 71st Street around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday when an officer approaches the vehicle to turn it around. She then floored the black Lexus and hit the officer.
She was later found to be high on marijuana. She told investigators “I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him. I did it on purpose. F— these cops! He wouldn’t move!”
The wounded officer suffered a broken leg and extensive bruising. However, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Lucy Shephard did not charge Dula with attempted murder. Instead, she will face an array of charges for 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.
Dula has a record of past arrests including a criminal mischief arrest in March 2022 after destroying property. The charges were dropped. She was also arrested at least twice in New Hampshire, including an arrest in 2020 for failing to stop at an intersection in the town of Henniker and striking another vehicle. She then fled the scene. She was also arrested for simple assault after an incident at Concord Hospital.
There are reports that Dula has been under treatment for mental illness, including possible bipolar illness. It is difficult for courts to balance such elements. This is a person who has gone to school and reportedly supports her mother and family while struggling with mental illness. On the other hand, she just admitted to intentionally striking down an officer.
It is not clear if the defense will argue the mental illness as a defense and argue that she was experiencing an uncontrolled episode due to medication problems. Yet, how is a judge to handle such a claim? Dula is not institutionalized due to a view that she is able to function in society. The defense could argue that the episode showed that she requires institutionalization and treatment, but that she was not in control of her actions.
This ANIMAL is the perfect example of everything that’s wrong with our ENTIRE Criminal Justice System & the SPINELESS White shirts who allow this
i’m surprised the cop wasn’t ordered to buy her a new car. ……/s
The “crime” here is the prosecutor failing to charge her with attempted murder. Of course, if she accidentally killed a menacing man (like Daniel Penny) or was defending her property from an armed robber (like Jose Alba) she would’ve been tarred & feathered. WTF.
When people are inebriated or substance-related “high,” ((although, in this case, clearly functioning, i.e., able to “drive” a vehicle and explain to the investigator her intent)) –they reveal the true feelings they harbor.
I do not believe mental illness or “high” had anything to do with it.
I instead infer she revealed her true, latent believe that “cops” pick on Black people. I also do not believe her having to support family members has anything to do with anything.
I have watched this (similar) play out in courts time and time again. The ACTUAL discrimination suffered by Blacks decades ago has now been replaced with many Whites “backing off” and “going light” on offenders, –resulting in the creation of “enabling” outcomes and attitudes that we see today, i.e., flaunting authority.
“flaunting in defiance of authority”
How did I know her ethnicity without even reading the article?
Black Lives Matter, cops lives not so much. No wonder so many are leaving the profession and so few choosing to pursue it.
Tacoma tried to give three officers the George Floyd treatment but the jury wasn’t buying it. Still the mayor and chief of police are critical of the officers. The police force is angry. I do wonder how Tacoma, about 10% black, ends up with a black mayor and black chief of police, both of whom seem to me to be BLM types.
https://mynorthwest.com/3946850/rantz-tacoma-officers-disgusted-chiefs-statement-warn-police-extinction
Portland, Tacoma, Boston top 3 places with large concentrations of the stupidest white people in the nation.
And Seattle