Jurors watch police body camera footage of moment Jessica Beauvais struck, killed NYPD Officer Anastasios Tsakos
Jessica Beauvais, accused of killing NYPD Officer Anastasios Tsakos in 2021, appears in court for the start of testimony at her trial on Tuesday. Credit: Ed Quinn
Jurors and spectators in a Queens courtroom Tuesday sat in silence as they watched a police body camera video showing the moment NYPD Officer Anastasios Tsakos was struck and killed on the Long Island Expressway early on the morning of April 27, 2021, by an alleged drunken driver.
The video from the body camera worn by Det. Eric Cassidy, who was Tsakos’ partner, was played in the opening day of the vehicular homicide and drunken driving trial of Jessica Beauvais of Hempstead.
Beauvais, 32, is on trial in Queens State Supreme Court on charges she was drunk and high on marijuana when she allegedly ignored a police roadblock on the LIE both Tsakos and Cassidy had set up at eastbound Exit 26 in Queens.
Cassidy’s video, taken under nighttime lighting conditions on the expressway, depicts Tsakos as he was struck, a moment captured in a sudden jumble of chaotic images showing the final instants in the life of the 43-year-old Tsakos, a married father of two from East Northport.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Jurors and spectators in a Queens courtroom Tuesday watched a police body camera video showing the moment NYPD Det. Anastasios Tsakos was struck and killed on the Long Island Expressway early the morning of April 27, 2021 by an alleged drunken driver.
- The video from the body camera worn by Det. Eric Cassidy, who was Tsakos’s partner, was played in the opening day of the vehicular homicide and drunken driving trial of Jessica Beauvais of Hempstead.
- Defense attorney Jorge Santos called Tsakos’s death an “unspeakable tragedy.”
An overwrought Cassidy is heard running toward the fallen Tsakos, who suffered the amputation of the lower left leg below the knee, as well as severe facial and head injuries, according to the testimony of a paramedic who arrived at the scene of the crash.
“My partner is down, he is down,” Cassidy is heard screaming into his police radio. “He is -------dead, he is -------dead,” Cassidy cried out.
A truck driver identified only as “Dan” in court testimony, stopped his truck on the service road and is seen standing with a stunned look, peering down at the lifeless Tsakos and trying to comfort an anguished Cassidy.
“I am here for you,” said Dan, telling Cassidy, "breathe, breathe, breathe."
The video was played Tuesday afternoon by prosecutors Gregory Lasak Jr. and Danielle O’Boyle as part of Cassidy’s time on the witness stand. At the time of the accident, Cassidy said he was in the NYPD highway unit covering Queens and early on April 27, 2021, was riding in a police car with Tsakos when they were called to investigate an accident further east at Exit 27.
Cassidy testified he and Tsakos were ordered to turn around and set up at roadblock at Exit 26 to divert all eastbound LIE traffic on to the service road.
Earlier in the day, Laska told jurors in his opening statement that Beauvais, who had allegedly been drinking and smoking marijuana after making a podcast in Brooklyn that night, ignored the roadblock, plowing into Tsakos, severing his lower left leg, brain stem and spinal cord.
Tsakos’ body flew through the air and landed 171 feet away from the point of impact, Lasak told the jurors.
Beauvais then continued to speed away until police officers surrounded her about two exits away and arrested her, he said.
“She made the criminal decision to save herself,” Lasak said of Beauvais’ flight.
The prosecutor said Beauvais’ blood alcohol level was 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit, when it was tested two hours after the crash.
Beauvais has been in custody since her arrest, unable to post a $1.2 million bail.
NYPD Highway Patrol Officer Anastasios Tsakos was killed on April 27, 2021. Credit: NYPD
Defense attorney Jorge Santos called Tsakos’ death an “unspeakable tragedy.”
He seemed to foreshadow some of the defense strategy when he indicated that Tsakos and Cassidy weren’t wearing reflective vests, that Beauvais had reduced her speed from about 70 mph to about 55 mph before impact and that Tsakos had his back to the traffic at the time.
Tsakos’ widow, Irene Tsakos, was in court for Tuesday’s testimony. Her face flushed and she occasionally wept as paramedic Kevin Beverly described finding Tsakos’ body, realizing immediately the highway officer was dead. When Tsakos’ battered face was shown, Irene Tsakos was not in court.
Outside the courthouse, dozens of NYPD officers gathered as Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Hendry said police officers will be attending the trial daily to accompany the Tsakos family.
Tsakos was posthumously promoted to the rank of detective.
The trial continues Wednesday in Judge Michael Aloise’s courtroom.
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
