kingston new york — A former New York state trooper was charged in court Tuesday with using his patrol car as an assault vehicle in a high-speed chase that left an 11-year-old girl dead, a case a prosecutor called a “deadly abuse of power.”
Christopher Baldner He faces multiple charges For his actions on the night of December 22, 2020, after he stopped a Dodge Journey driven by Tristin Goodes for speeding. Goodes was driving north on a New York state highway with his wife and two daughters for a family vacation.
The policeman and the driver argued, and Baldner pepper-sprayed him from inside the car. The cargo took off and Baldner pursued it at speeds of up to 130 mph, striking the SUV twice, causing it to lose control and roll over after the second collision, according to prosecutors.
“He used his patrol car as a weapon and rammed the back of the Goodes’ car, not once, but twice,” Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Gashi told the jury in her opening statement.
11-year-old Monica Goodes was found dead inside the car.
Baldner’s actions that night were deliberate, deliberate and depraved, Gashi said. She added that the case is not related to a tragic accident, but rather a “deadly abuse of power.”
Baldner was indicted in October 2021 on charges of murder, second-degree manslaughter and first-degree reckless endangerment. Three of the six reckless endangerment charges stem from a separate 2019 case on Thruway in which he was accused of crashing into the back of a Dodge Caravan with three people aboard, causing the vehicle to crash into a guardrail.
The defense attorney told the jury that the prosecution was trying to “demonize” Baldner, who was dealing with a hostile and uncooperative driver.
Tristin Goods refused to show the officer his license and registration or provide his name. He was angry and cursing, despite pleas from his family to calm down, said attorney Anthony Rico.
“New York State Trooper Baldner was very focused on a man who acted this way in front of his wife and children,” Rico said.
Rico said Baldner did not act out of corruption.
Baldner had radioed a message that night that an SUV had hit his car, according to court papers. Rico told the jury it was possible the SUV slowed down before the collision.
In dinars. He was released on $100,000 bail. He retired in 2022 after nearly 20 years with the State Police.
The trial is expected to take several weeks.