Family and friends hold memorial for pedestrian killed during Orlando Police pursuit
Family and friends gathered Thursday to mourn the loss of 56-year-old Gerald Neal, who was tragically killed during a police chase Wednesday night.
According to police reports, Gerald had nothing to do with the chase and was sitting on Indiana Street when he was struck in the middle of the pursuit by two cars, the suspect, 30-year-old Dornell Bargnare, and the Orlando officer chasing him.
'What happened to him shouldn't have happened. Because if they had called off the chase, Gerald would have still been living,' said Reggie Brooks,' Gerald Neal's cousin.
According to the Orlando Police Chase policy, it states an officers can only chase a suspect if they think they committed a forcible felony so serious crimes like aggravated battery, murder, or kidnapping, but the policy does give officers discretion. It states the officer has to weigh the risks of chasing a suspect.
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'That was my friend. At exactly 7 o'clock, he died,' said Shanneka Long, a friend of Gerald.
Gerald was killed Wednesday night while sitting on Indiana Street, a place his family friends said he was at every day.
According to a Florida Highway Patrol crash report, Bargnare was driving on Rio Grande Avenue, running from an unmarked Orlando police Ford F-150 when he risked a sharp left turn onto Indiana Street. The Nissan ran off the roadway to the right, hitting Gerald and a utility pole.
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'I'm hollering for him like Gerald, Gerald, Gerald. Look this man up under the truck. Exactly 33 minutes, he laid up under the truck before anybody even moved his body,' said Long.
Flowers, candles, and balloons now mark the spot where Gerald was killed. Those who loved him have more questions than answers.
'I want the police who ran him over to be held accountable for what they did. That's it. That's all we want,' said Brooks.
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