An Orlando Police detective involved in a fatal car chase that resulted in the death of a pedestrian will not face criminal charges. According to ClickOrlando, Detective Christopher Moulton, who was in pursuit of a fleeing suspect, was placed on administrative leave following the February 12th incident that led to the death of Gerald Neal, 56.
During the pursuit, a crash occurred when suspect Dornell Bargnare, who is facing a slew of charges, including vehicular homicide, struck Neal before losing control of his vehicle. Neal was later also struck by Moulton's vehicle. Though Moulton's truck did not have a dash camera, body-camera footage provided a first-person perspective of the aftermath, including Moulton running after Bargnare on foot. An officer was recorded telling Moulton, "There was a guy under your truck," according to the footage reported by ClickOrlando.
Prosecutors have cited insufficient evidence to charge Moulton criminally, with the State Attorney's Office releasing a 14-page decision memo, detailed with new photos and body-cam video, that legally breaks down their reasoning, per a WFTV report. The decision memo indicates that suspect Bargnare's vehicle struck Neal first. Legal analyst Bill Shaefer stated, "It certainly does change the narrative that the police officer wasn’t the person who originally hit the victim."
Bargnare, who began the case facing charges related to an unreadable tag, will see his trial commence next month while prosecutors hint that additional charges could be filed. Meanwhile, despite prosecutors asserting that the moral aspect of the pursuit is separate from the legal threshold for charging an officer, Moulton could still face discipline if found in violation of the police department's pursuit policy. This internal investigation is ongoing, and the Orlando Police Department has yet to respond to inquiries about its status.
