NYPD Hits, Kills Suspect with Car, Charges Grieving Mother For Dent on Car

Witnesses say cops hit him purposely

Tamon Robinson was hit by an NYPD car while being chased for allegedly stealing decorative stones (his mother's admitted as much) from a housing project in Brooklyn. He entered a coma after being hit and eventually died. From USA Today:

Now his mom, Laverne Dobbinson, 45, says she's been ordered to pay the cost of repairing the police car that killed her son, the paper reports.

"We're still grieving, and this is like a slap in the face," Dobbinson said."They want my son to pay for damage to the vehicle that killed him. It's crazy."

A letter dated Sept. 27 and mailed to her son seeks $710 for "property damage to a vehicle owned by the New York Police Department," according to New York Daily News. It also threatens to slap the family with a lawsuit if the claim isn't paid.

The city's medical examiner ruled the death accidental, but witnesses say cops deliberately hit Robinson and Internal Affairs is investigating that so, um, don't hold your breath.

UPDATE: As noted by commenter P Brooks, the law firm that sent the letter on behalf of the city said it had dropped the effort and the NYPD has referred the matter of the letter to the Law Department, noting it does not send letters like this itself, according to the New York Times.