A New York state trooper was acquitted of manslaughter charges on Wednesday in the killing of an unarmed motorist in downtown Buffalo, New York, after a high-speed highway chase two years ago. Local Buffalo WIVB news reported that trooper Anthony Nigro IV was found not guilty of first-and second-degree manslaughter charges by Judge James Bargnesi of Erie County Court following a bench trial.

The incident occurred on February 23, 2022 during a high-speed chase that spanned 45 minutes and reached speeds exceeding 100 miles-per-hour. James Huber, a 38-year-old man from North East, Pennsylvania, weaved through traffic and dented the pursuing police vehicle. When the pursuit came to an end on a downtown Buffalo street, Huber refused to exit his car and then accelerated backward when Nigro attempted to pull him out through the window. Trooper Nigro then fired two shots at Huber, who was unarmed.

The Office of the State Attorney General of New York reviewed the case, which has the authority to investigate law enforcement’s lethal use of force. Attorney General Letitia James brought charges against Trooper Nigro following a review by her office.

Nigro testified that he feared for his life when he fired the shots and stated, “I felt like I was going to get sucked underneath the vehicle; this man was going to kill me.” Ultimately, Judge James Bargnesi found Nigro not guilty, stating that he acted out of fear, not anger. Local television 7news spoke to the defending attorney John D’Alessandro outside of the courtroom, who said: “[Nigro’s] only motive was to protect the people of Buffalo, and for that, he lost a year and a half of his life.”

Huber’s sister left the courtroom without commenting.