By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kassun Brown pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter for speeding through a stop sign in St. Albans and crashing into another vehicle, killing its driver, an off-duty NYPD officer.
Brown, 32, of Springfield Gardens, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the second degree.
According to the charges:
Video surveillance footage shows that on Jan. 17, 2020, at approximately 11:58 p.m., Brown’s 2006 Nissan Maxima sped past a stop sign at the intersection of Nashville Boulevard and Lucas Street in St. Albans.
The car struck a Nissan Altima driven by off-duty officer Michael Ellis, who was traveling westbound on Lucas Street. Ellis’ car went into a clockwise spin before hitting two parked cars. Brown’s car veered into a telephone pole.
Photo Courtesy of Google
“We welcome the guilty plea and hope it will provide some solace to Officer Ellis’ loved ones,” DA Katz said.
Ellis, who lived in St. Albans and worked at the 63rd Precinct in Brooklyn, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a traumatic brain injury, a broken neck and facial fractures. He died Feb. 27, the day of his 35th birthday.
At .09 percent, Brown’s blood alcohol content exceeded the maximum legal threshold of .08 percent.
Brown was taken to a local hospital after the collision for treatment of a dislocated right ankle. A passenger in Brown’s car was treated for a fractured femur.
“The defendant’s recklessness prematurely took the life of a young NYPD officer,” Katz said. “We welcome the guilty plea and hope it will provide some solace to Officer Ellis’ loved ones.”
The Hon. Michael Aloise indicated that he would sentence Brown to an indeterminate term of six to 12 years in prison at sentencing on Jan. 11.
