Attorney General James Announces Indictment and Arraignment of NYPD Officer on Manslaughter Charge

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the indictment and arraignment of New York City Police Department (NYPD) Officer Tyler Paul, 24, of Queens County, on charges of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Assault in the Second and Third Degrees, Criminally Negligent Homicide, and Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree. The indictment alleges that on April 26, 2023, Officer Paul struck and killed highway construction worker Kawan Edwards with his personal motor vehicle. Officer Paul was off-duty at the time.

Officer Paul was arraigned today before Acting Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis in Queens. Justice Hartofilis set bail at a $200,000 bond, or partially secured bond, with a $100,000 cash alternative. Officer Paul is due back in court on May 1, 2024. The maximum sentence on the top charge is an indeterminate sentence of 5-15 years in prison.

On the morning of April 26, 2023, Officer Paul was off-duty and driving his personal car on Grand Central Parkway in Queens. Officer Paul was speeding, and as he made a lane change from left to right, without signaling and while driving in between lanes, he struck a vehicle in the right lane. The collision caused Officer Paul to lose control of his vehicle, which then skidded at high speed into Mr. Edwards, who was working as a contractor for the Department of Transportation on the shoulder. Mr. Edwards was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.  

Pursuant to New York Executive Law Section 70-b, the Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident. Criminal charges are accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty at trial or by plea.