Police: Retired Suffolk lieutenant hit Nassau officer with car, fled

A retired Suffolk police lieutenant has been charged with striking a Nassau police officer with his car.

News 12 Staff

Feb 21, 2019, 4:17 PM

Updated 1,891 days ago

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Police: Retired Suffolk lieutenant hit Nassau officer with car, fled
A retired Suffolk police lieutenant has been charged with striking a Nassau police officer with his car.
Last Friday, court documents say an on-duty Nassau police sergeant in plainclothes witnessed retired Suffolk Lt. William Hasper make an unsafe left turn from Old Country Road into the parking lot of a Bethpage Federal Credit Union in Westbury. The sergeant then tried to give him a ticket for the turn, as well as excessive use of his horn.
According to the felony complaint, Hasper "put his vehicle in reverse and did intentionally strike the victim multiple times with his motor vehicle." The sergeant then walked around to the front of the car and Hasper allegedly "did again intentionally strike" the sergeant, injuring his leg. Hasper then allegedly fled the scene.
Sources say Hasper turned himself in on Sunday night. He was arraigned Monday on a felony assault charge and was hit with a slew of traffic violations, including "leaving the scene of an incident, unsafe turn, distorted license plate and excessive honking."
No one answered the door at Hasper's home Thursday. He retired from the Suffolk Police Department in 2012 and previously made headlines for suing the county and department, saying he was being sexually harassed by a female officer and that his claims weren't taken seriously.
News 12 video from 1993 shows when Hasper joined the police department, having graduated from West Point and served in the U.S. Army.
The Nassau Police Department did not alert the media or the public about the hit-and-run when it happened or after Hasper was arrested -- not the usual policy of the department. A police spokesman did not comment when asked why it was kept quiet.
Edward Sapone, Hasper's attorney, tells News 12 the "allegations are a bald-faced lie" and that "Lt. Hasper would not and did not injure this officer."
Sapone goes on:
According to court documents, the Nassau sergeant "identified himself as an on-duty Nassau County Police Sergeant verbally and by displaying his shield."


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