NEW YORK (WPIX) — The Long Island woman accused of killing an NYPD officer in a hit-and-run said she had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before the crash and had also gone on a livestreamed anti-police rant just hours prior.
Jessica Beauvais, 32, is accused of hitting New York police officer Anastasios Tsakos with her vehicle on the Long Island Expressway early Tuesday. The 43-year-old Tsakos, a 14-year veteran of the New York Police Department, was diverting traffic away from a separate fatal crash at the time of the incident.
Outside the courthouse, Beauvais told reporters she was sorry.
“She’s genuine in that she apologized for the fact that she was caught,” said Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association.
In a livestreamed podcast video on her Facebook page, Beauvais was seen downing shots and vaping. She also made disparaging comments about police regarding recent police shootings.
“We’re not scared of the police…We want you to know we don’t give a [expletive] about you, your mom or your children or wife. You’re nothing,” she says in the video.
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During her arraignment Tuesday night, prosecutors said Beauvais admitted that she had smoked a joint, took two shots of tequila and drank wine as she livestreamed.
Outside the courthouse, the suspect’s family members didn’t speak to the media but broke down in tears as they walked away.
“She admitted that she didn’t know where she was going, what she was doing, but still got in her car and used GPS as if it was automatic pilot,” said Lynch.
Tsakos leaves behind a wife and two young children, ages 3 and 6.
“They said goodbye on their stoop today; little did they know that was the last time,” Lynch said.
Beauvais is facing a slew of charges, including manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting/death, unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the second and third degree, operating a motor vehicle while under influence of alcohol or drugs, as a felony, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, operating a motor vehicle while under influence of alcohol, reckless driving, and operating a vehicle approaching parked, stopped, standing authorized emergency vehicle.
If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in prison.