GOSHEN – A grand jury voted not to bring charges in the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man on Interstate 84 in Orange County.
State Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday following “an exhaustive investigation, we concluded that there was sufficient evidence that a crime had been committed to warrant a presentation to a grand jury” in the death of Luke Patterson, 41, of Tannersville. “The grand jury, however, voted not to bring charges, and we respect the grand jury’s decision.”
At the time of the incident in May 2019, State Police said Patterson had abandoned his van on the highway around 2 a.m. and was walking on the road when two state troopers passed him while on patrol. One officer got out of the police car and questioned the man while the other trooper drove slowly alongside them.
Police said Patterson was uncooperative and then jumped into the patrol vehicle at which point the officer outside shot him.
