You are reading

Long Island Woman Pleads ‘Not Guilty’ for Fatal Hit-and-Run of NYPD Officer

Police salute the coffin of Officer Anastasios Tsakos during his funeral procession earlier this month (Photo: Twitter via @NYPDnews)

May 26, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

A Long Island woman has pleaded not guilty for allegedly driving drunk and killing an NYPD Highway officer on the Long Island Expressway last month.

Jessica Beauvais, 32, was arraigned before Queens Supreme Court Tuesday faced with a slew of charges for allegedly striking Officer Anastasios Tsakos dead with her vehicle while drunk and on drugs in the early hours of April 27.

Beauvais was charged with three counts of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving for plowing her 2013 Volkswagen Passat into Tsakos, sending him airborne into a nearby patch of grass, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.

She was also charged with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, leaving the scene of an accident and fleeing from police after she continued driving. Beauvais was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .15 – nearly twice the legal limit, according to the charges.

Officer Anastasios Tsakos (Source: NYPD)

Tsakos, a 14-year veteran of the department, was hit by Beauvais at around 2 a.m. while he was diverting traffic on the highway following a prior crash. She hit him with so much force that he was thrown nearly 40 feet in the air, severing one of his legs, according to published reports.

Officer Tsakos was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Beauvais, of Hempstead, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

She appeared handcuffed in court wearing a khaki jumpsuit and stayed silent for the hearing.

Her attorney entered a not-guilty plea. Beauvais had previously apologized for her actions, telling reporters last month “I’m sorry that I hit him and that he’s dead.”

No bail was set.

“This is a heartbreaking case that has left the police officer’s parents, his widow and their two young children and our entire community mourning his loss,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement Tuesday. Tsakos leaves behind a 6-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.

The 32-year-old was also charged with driving without a license and failure to take due care when approaching an emergency vehicle.

Beauvais, after hitting Tsakos, continued driving before taking the Horace Harding Expressway ramp. She jumped the curb and mounted the sidewalk, where police surrounded her vehicle.

She then attempted to flee and put her car in reverse, ramming the police vehicle behind her before coming to a complete stop. Officers then arrested her and took her to the 112th Precinct house in Forest Hills.

Beauvais was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month and was ordered back to court in July.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Former client sentenced for murdering prominent immigration attorney in his Flushing law office: DA

A Flushing woman was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for stabbing her immigration attorney to death in 2022, just days after he dropped her as a client, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Wednesday.

Xiaoning Zhang, 27, of Kissena Boulevard, was found guilty by a jury last month of murder in the second degree and other related crimes for fatally stabbing 66-year-old Jim Li, a prominent lawyer known for his legal work and activism during the Tiananmen Square uprising in the People’s Republic of China in 1989. Trial openings began on Sept. 9, 2024, and closings occurred on Sept. 19, 2024. The jury deliberated for one day.

DA Katz introduces Kimi, the facility dog providing comfort to Queens crime victims

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz introduced one of the newest members of her team on Wednesday as part of her office’s public information campaign during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Kimi, a 2-year-old golden retriever/Labrador retriever, has been appointed as a facility dog to provide comfort and companionship to crime victims and witnesses. “Kimi has been an extraordinary addition to our team here at the Queens District Attorney’s Office,” Katz said. “She’s affectionate, highly trained, and has already assisted survivors and witnesses and put them at ease.”

Mets to host playoff watch parties at Citi Field

Oct. 3, 2024 By Ethan Marshall

As the New York Mets look to clinch a trip to the National League Division Series Wednesday night in Milwaukee, the team announced that beginning as early as Thursday, Oct. 3, Citi Field will be hosting watch parties of select away games during the playoffs.