A woman who deliberately drove her car into a NYPD officer after shouting anti-police slogans has been sentenced to prison, a decision criticized by the police union as too lenient.
Sahara Dula, aged 25, received her sentence on Wednesday in Manhattan Supreme Court. In addition to her prison term, she will also face three years of post-release supervision following her guilty plea to second-degree assault in June.
According to prosecutors, Dula intentionally targeted the officer with her black Lexus on January 17, 2024, as she drove in the wrong direction on Park Avenue near East 71st Street. The officers were present in that location investigating a robbery at a nearby upscale boutique, which led to a partial road closure, court documents revealed.
Footage referenced in the court records shows an officer approaching Dula’s vehicle to redirect her into the correct lane. However, instead of complying, Dula accelerated, hitting the officer directly. The impact caused the officer to roll over the hood and fall to the pavement, resulting in a fractured leg, according to the prosecutors.
After the incident, Sahara Dula admitted to investigators, “I did it on purpose,” after hitting the NYPD officer on Park Avenue in 2024. (X/@MrAndyNgo)
Police stated that Dula was swiftly arrested following the event. During her arrest, she launched into an anti-police rant and confessed that she had intentionally struck the officer, as detailed in the court documents.
“I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him. I did it on purpose,” Dula told investigators, according to the records.
“F— these cops! He wouldn’t move!” she shouted shortly after the incident, the filings state.
Authorities said Dula drove northbound in the southbound lanes of Park Avenue for roughly 10 blocks while under the influence of marijuana. Officers recovered rolling papers and a container of marijuana in her car’s cupholder, court records show.
Sahara Dula, 24, told investigators she struck the officer “on purpose.” (X/@MrAndyNgo)
Dula, a criminal justice graduate, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is receiving ongoing mental-health treatment, according to the New York Post.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry criticized the outcome, telling Fox News Digital that the justice system needs to send a stronger message.
“The sentence is not nearly enough,” Hendry said. “This individual tried to run down a New York City police officer. She could have killed him. We’re glad she is going behind bars instead of walking free, but there must be zero leniency for attacks on police officers.”
Her attorney, Patricia Wright, told Fox News Digital that Dula has accepted responsibility for her actions.
“Ms. Dula has taken responsibility for her actions, pleaded guilty and has been sentenced according to the law,” Wright said. “We sincerely hope that the officer involved in the assault on Ms. Dula will be held to a high standard of professionalism in the future and will not have the opportunity to engage in such behavior again.”
Since her arrest, Wright said Dula has fully complied with all pretrial release conditions and has been a “model citizen.”
Dula was initially indicted on multiple charges, including attempted assault, attempted aggravated assault on a police officer, assault, drug-impaired driving and reckless driving, according to the indictment.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg previously condemned the attack in a February 2024 news release announcing the indictment, calling it a “dangerous assault” on law enforcement.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg previously condemned the attack as a “dangerous assault” on law enforcement. (Barry Williams for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
“This defendant not only endangered the lives of countless people traveling on Park Avenue, but she deliberately sought to harm an NYPD officer,” Bragg said. “We have no tolerance for this type of attack and will continue to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. I hope the injured officer makes a full recovery and thank him for his service.”
While the second-degree assault charge carried a maximum sentence of seven years, Dula’s plea deal reduced her prison term to two years, followed by three years of supervised release, Wright said.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
