The family of a delivery driver killed last month by a driver fleeing U.S. Park Police believes President Donald Trump’s executive order loosening the agency’s pursuit policy played a part in their uncle’s death.
Nolberto Meza’s nieces Veronica Martinez and Laura Sanabria stood outside the U.S. attorney’s office Monday — 30 days after their uncle was killed — and urged prosecutors to file charges.
“There’s a lot of doubts because they haven’t seen any evidence,” the nieces’ interpreter said.
On June 20, a Park Police officer saw a stolen car near the Kennedy Center and pursued it up Rock Creek Parkway into the Woodley Park neighborhood, Park Police said. Meza was on a moped and was hit and killed by the driver fleeing police.
D.C. police charged the driver of the stolen car along with two of his passengers, but the charges were dropped the next day with the U.S. attorney’s office saying it did not have all of the information needed to decide on charges.
Attorneys representing Meza’s family pointed to Trump’s executive order allowing Park Police to loosen its policy on chases.
“What happened to Mr. Meza is not only foreseeable but is a predictable outcome of this dangerous executive order, and we stand together with the community to say ‘shame,’” attorney Elizabeth Paige White said.
Attorneys for Meza’s family say they have a right to see the evidence.
“The USAO is certainly in a position to invite the Meza family to come and view the video of what happened here, even if it’s privately, so they can have some closure on this incident,” attorney Bernadette Armand said.
D.C. police said the investigation into the crash is complete, and the information has been turned over to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The U.S. attorney’s office told News4, “This office is not yet in receipt of all the information needed to make a decision. Once the facts are clear and the evidence is in hand we will make a charging decision.”
After Meza’s death, Park Police said it would review its pursuit policy.
Sunday night, Park Police pursued the driver of a car for what police say was a park closure violation in Jones Point Park in Alexandria. In a statement to News4, Park Police said, “During the pursuit, the suspect intentionally rammed a USPP patrol vehicle before swerving into a civilian vehicle at the intersection of Brinkley Road and Huntley Square Drive. The driver was arrested and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injury. The sole occupant of the civilian vehicle was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injury. The USPP officer hit by the suspect was medevacked from the scene.”
