ORLANDO, Fla. – Attorney Ben Crump held a news conference Thursday afternoon to call for transparency in the death of a man who was struck by a car and a pickup truck in an Orlando police pursuit two weeks ago.
The crash occurred around 7 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the intersection of Rio Grande Avenue and Indiana Street, troopers said.
An initial report from Florida Highway Patrol, who is handling the traffic investigation, confirmed that an officer in an unmarked vehicle was chasing after Dornell Bargnare, a suspect in a blacked-out 2012 Nissan Altima, when he attempted to make a sharp left turn onto Indiana Street. The Nissan ran off the roadway to the right, striking a pedestrian and a utility pole, the report states.
The pedestrian was also struck by a front tire of the Orlando police pickup truck when it traveled onto the south curbed shoulder of Indiana Street, according to FHP.
Ben Crump Law identified the pedestrian as 56-year-old Gerald Neal, who was a widower who was experiencing homelessness.
In a statement, the law firm claims that the police pursuit was reportedly initiated due to an unreadable license plate, adding questions are now being raised within Neal’s family and community about the necessity and safety of such pursuits.
Bargnare was arrested to face charges of burglary of a dwelling and resisting officers without violence. He had run from the wreck, jumped fences and attempted to hide in a property along Grand Street before eventually giving himself up, police said.
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At the news conference Thursday, Crump said that witnesses of the crash told the family they saw the pickup truck run Neal over and stay on top of him as the officer driving it took off running after Bargnare.
“The witness said right then they were like ‘you hit somebody.’ And they say the cop got out and didn’t pay them any attention and just ran after the person he was pursuing,” said Crump. “They said it was 30 minutes or so, 33 minutes, that the car was on top of his body.”
News 6’s Catherine Silver asked Crump how certain he was that the Orlando Police Department was responsible for Neal’s death.
“What we do know is that, you see he’s hit by the first car, he’s still alive. We know the police vehicle running over him didn’t help his condition and we know he was living when the car hit him, when the police car landed on top of him, and so we want transparency... Release the body cam video, release the dashcam video, then everybody will know,” Crump said.
Neal’s family said his life was marked by tragedy in recent years, and after losing his wife, his son, and his mother within a 12-month period he chose to live on the streets because of his grief. His daughter, Shaquail Neal, said her father was struggling with psychological and emotional issues after going through so much loss.
“He’s always had somewhere to go,” said Neal. “He went back to what he knew to keep the burden off of the family. He did not have to be out there. He chose to be out there.”
Neal’s daughter says now her family is left dealing with yet another loss.
“Because he’s not here,” said Neal. “They just left him there under the truck like a piece of meat, like he meant nothing. Like he meant absolutely nothing, and we still don’t have any answers.”
Crump said no one from the Orlando Police Department has reached out to Neal’s family. The information they have learned has come from the hospital, witnesses, or the media.
Orlando police released a statement Thursday and revealed that the vehicle that the officer was in does not have a dash camera. The officer involved in the incident remains on paid leave.
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.
Orlando Police Department
Watch the news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here.
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