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NY officer injured in pursuit by falling light pole regains consciousness

Officer Jonathan Negron, who had been in a medically induced coma since June 3, was able to talk Sunday

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Buffalo Police Officer Jonathan Negron suffered injuries to his brain and spinal cord during a pursuit on June 3, 2021.

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By Mary B. Pasciak
The Buffalo News, N.Y.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Police Officer Jonathan Negron woke up and was able to talk Sunday, more than a week after he was injured and lost consciousness after a light pole fell on his patrol car during a chase, Capt. Jeff Rinaldo said.

The 29-year-old officer has been in critical condition in Erie County Medical Center since June 3, when he responded to a 911 call about a car with four people wearing masks and possessing a gun.

He suffered injuries to his brain and spinal cord and had been in a medically induced coma.

Negron responded to the 911 call June 3, which reported the suspicious vehicle a few blocks from Pine Ridge Road and Genesee Street. He pursued the vehicle, an SUV, for about a mile. Other officers from Buffalo and Cheektowaga also joined the chase.

The SUV drove through Mount Calvary Cemetery. When it was leaving the cemetery, the vehicle crashed into a light pole. The pole then fell through the windshield of Negron’s car, injuring him.

Officers found him unconscious and performed CPR before taking him to ECMC.

The 16-year-old driver of the vehicle Negron was chasing, who had run away from a juvenile facility in Rochester, was charged with second-degree assault and unlawfully fleeing from a police officer in a motor vehicle.

(c)2021 The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.)

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