PAWTUCKET, R.I.—A federal judge has ruled that two Pawtucket police officers were not responsible for a fatal car crash that followed a police pursuit.
The suit was filed by the family of 21-year-old Jason Goncalves, who died in an Aug. 12, 2005 crash. He was the passenger.
The suit alleged the police had no reason to chase the vehicle, and violated department policy on pursuits. The suit named officers Richard LaForest and Christopher Lombardi, as well as the former chief and city officials.
The defense said the officers followed policy and pursued the car because it resembled the description of a car wanted in connection with a robbery.
The Providence Journal reports that the driver of the car Goncalves was in willfully disobeyed several traffic laws before crashing.
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Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.projo.com/
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