Sahara Dula, 24, is a New England College criminal justice graduate who wants to specialize in “crisis communication.” If so, she has a bit to learn after intentionally hitting a police officer with her Lexus and then declaring “F— these cops, it’s a lesson to him.”
A video captures Dula driving the wrong way on Park Avenue near East 71st Street around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday when an officer approaches the vehicle to turn it around. She then floored the black Lexus and hit the officer.
She was later found to be high on marijuana. She told investigators “I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him. I did it on purpose. F— these cops! He wouldn’t move!”
The wounded officer suffered a broken leg and extensive bruising. However, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Lucy Shephard did not charge Dula with attempted murder. Instead, she will face an array of charges for first-degree attempted assault, attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, second-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment and operating a vehicle while ability impaired by drugs and reckless driving.
Dula has a record of past arrests including a criminal mischief arrest in March 2022 after destroying property. The charges were dropped. She was also arrested at least twice in New Hampshire, including an arrest in 2020 for failing to stop at an intersection in the town of Henniker and striking another vehicle. She then fled the scene. She was also arrested for simple assault after an incident at Concord Hospital.
There are reports that Dula has been under treatment for mental illness, including possible bipolar illness. It is difficult for courts to balance such elements. This is a person who has gone to school and reportedly supports her mother and family while struggling with mental illness. On the other hand, she just admitted to intentionally striking down an officer.
It is not clear if the defense will argue the mental illness as a defense and argue that she was experiencing an uncontrolled episode due to medication problems. Yet, how is a judge to handle such a claim? Dula is not institutionalized due to a view that she is able to function in society. The defense could argue that the episode showed that she requires institutionalization and treatment, but that she was not in control of her actions.
Why do you write that she is struggling with mental illness. Seems to me that she is embracing it.
Attempted assault? ATTEMPTED??? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM. THIS COP WAS RAN OVER INTENTIONALLY WHICH IS USE OF DEADLY FORCE AND A DEADLY WEAPON ACCORDING TO CIMINAL LAW.
THE CHARGE SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED MURDER ALONG WITH ALL THE SUBSEQUENT CHARGES. What a outrageous injustice already. This is likely another Democrat soft on crime DA who defunds cops. Woke liberal cancer in our justice system.
Amen
She needs to be put in a Jail Cell together with Hunter Biden.
He’ll be wanting to crawl up in James Comer’s lap and start singing the truth about it all after a week with Her. If he doesn’t pull a Jeffrey Epstein first.
There are some People that think they have some Divine Righteous Indignation that allows them to do the things they do when They are wrong.
I say the usual suspects are: Bipolar, Substance Addicted, Behaviorally-Reinforced, Spoiled, Manipulative, Pathological Liars.
In layman’s terms: Self Righteous Maniacs.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Investigators heard Her say: “I know you ain’t tell’en Me how to Drive My Car!”
I bet’ya She’s committed Credit Card Fraud to.
Been screwed-over three time by the same likes of Her, and just like that Cop, you can’t get out of their way, they run you over like a Deer between the Headlights.
I hope the Cop gets a Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, instant full-paid 100% Retirement (50/yrs Service @ 3.5%) tomorrow morning, and Pain & Suffering Damages $M. It still won’t erase the memory – of that.
Slavery Bad – 0 Killed
Abortion Good – 60 Million Killed
Compare the violent death rate of blacks under slavery with the violent death rate of blacks in Chicago.
Chicago ‘wins’ by a wide margin.
“IT’S OK TO BE WHITE.”
– Only 53% of blacks agree, Rasmussen
___________________________________________
“IT’S NOT OK TO BE WHITE.”
– 47% of blacks agree, Rasmussen
_____________________________________
“Blacks are a hate group.”
“As you know, I’ve been identifying as Black for a while – years now – because I like – you know, I like to be on the winning team.”
“The best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people.”
“Just get the f*** away.”
“Wherever you have to go, just get away because there’s no fixing this.”
“You just have to escape, so that’s what I did.”
– Scott Adams, “Dilbert”
__________________________
“THERE’S NO FIXING THIS!” Even for the deranged, hysterical, incoherent, bleeding-heart communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, democrats, RINOs, AINOs).
Not one thing I disagree with there.
I simply don’t understand how this person could be charged for ATTEMPTED assault 1st degree or ATTEMPTED agg assault on a cop. Does the victim need go under the car in order for SUCCESSFUL assault in the first degree?
Sahara Dula, 24, a New England College criminal justice graduate, is a product of illegal immigration and affirmative action.
Mental illness should not be an excuse to allow a person to intentionally hurt or kill anyone else. Society should be protected from her. She intentionally tried to murder this police officer. What if she decided that people in a crosswalk didn’t get out of her way when she wanted them to, so she just ran them over?
I suspect she just doesn’t like police or white people and that she will act like this again.
We really should stop teaching blacks that everything wrong in their lives is because of white people. They would have nothing but spears loincloths, goatskin drums, murder and cannibalism if they were required to live only with their contributions to humanity.
Apparently Sahara Dulah is also a BLM activist and Pro-Palestinian protester.
It depends on the race of those she ran over, frankly im surprised that shes even being charged. Here in Chicago , if youre white and get arrested theyre throwing the book at you. White genocide is a real thing.
This is a person who has gone to school and reportedly supports her mother and family while struggling with mental illness. On the other hand, she just admitted to intentionally striking down an officer.
Yup, and you don’t get any stronger evidence than the perp’s own admission, especially an “excited utterance” which the law recognizes as particularly reliable.
The defense could argue that the episode showed that she requires institutionalization and treatment, but that she was not in control of her actions.
The defense might argue that, in fulfilling its duty to advocate zealously for her interests. But again, any half-way intelligent judge will see right through it in light of her own admission that she acted intentionally.
The problem is there isnt any judges that are half way intelligent.
If we accept that it was a profoundly dangerous form of mental illness that caused her to run down the officer (and demonstrate the opposite of remorse for her actions), then we have to wonder if she displayed or masked her frightening condition (from prosecutors and the courts) during her numerous prior interactions with the criminal justice system? If the former, then she should’ve been institutionalized as a danger to society; if the latter, then she should’ve punished/incarcerated to the maximum extent of the law.
Either the justice system will treat her as the public danger her actions proved her to be, or it will deem dangerous lunacy as a hazard from which the public (read: you and your loved ones) deserves no protection.
I don’t think mentally illness “caused” her to act as she did. I think she just made a choice, a very bad choice. Her words confirm it. She needs to be held accountable, both in criminal court and in civil court. So I agree with your second paragraph.
She can use the attack as the centerpiece of her Fordham Law School admissions essay.
There is a No-Fly List, but perhaps there needs to be a national No-Drive list. The judicial system will determine is this was a mental health crisis or controlled substance abuse incident. But regardless, this woman should never be allowed to drive a automobile ever again. Her history behind the wheel shows she is a danger to society.
Assault on a police officer carries a one year jail term. With her rap sheet perhaps she will be provided some time out time. The cop can also own her in civil court where she will NEVER be able to get insurance or have anything of value for quite some time.
According to reports in the press Ms Dula is a BLM activist and pro-Hamas protester.
Makes sense that she’d support terrorism, baby-killing, family-burning, and mass rape.
OT
What’s wrong with this picture?
Can you say, political “witch hunt,” again?
Where the —- is the Supreme Court as the nation unravels?
__________________________________________________________________
Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office
Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
_____________________________________________________________________
“[Obama] wants to know everything we’re doing.”
– Lisa Page
____________
Fani Willis and Nathan Wade consulted with and visited the White House on multiple occasions.
If “Sahara Dula” is a female, woman, young lady, girl, or otherwise hot chick, it/she/her is one of the Ly (i.e. Lee) sisters, first name’s nothing Butt Ug!
Oh, and where the —- did it/she/her get that Lexus and the incompatible lexicon?
Haha the dealerships have no problem apporving people like her, she probably made a few payments and that heap is on a repo list.
This lady may be mentally ill. From what we have here we do know that she is an unpleasant human being in her present state. She is in multiple confrontations with the law and then ends up trying to run down a policeman. She may simply be a an a—hole who fakes mental illness. She might have bipolar disorder but we don’t know. She may simply not take her medications for bipolar illness which might mean that she is negligent. She has may have a personality disorder and not be bipolar. What we do know is she is dangerous, unpleasant, drives under the influence of foreign substances and has very poor language skills.
Or she could just be a common every day progressive.
Unfortunately we seriously underfund and under-legislate mental illness in this country. in my inexpert opinion she requires institutionalized care with someone else carrying out her support roles.
What data is your opinion based upon that “we seriously underfund and under-legislate mental illness in this country”? The lack of results?
The article suggests she was already diagnosed (and thus presumably under care for “mental illness”? Would more $ have solved or prevented this problem?
Prisons are loaded with people that that have antisocial personality disorder and there is no known effective treatment. Is that what you mean when you state “she requires institutionalized care”? Exactly what would be done and what is the expectation (in terms of results) from the $ that you throw at the ‘seriously underfunded’ circumstances? Just feel like you are accomplishing something?
Show me — I’m no expert. But I judge that she is criminally insane. Prison just makes matters worse. But the State of Washington only has beds for less than 1000 in the 2 state hospitals for the insane, for example.
If you are “No expert”, how in the world can you possibly pass judgement?
“Prison just makes matters worse”. For who? The victim? Potential future victims? Society? The purpose of prison is not rehab. And despite efforts to make it a place of rehab, those efforts have consistently and repeatedly failed.
But your solution is to house them in state hospitals for the insane? It has been estimated that the vast bulk of people in prison can be diagnosed with a psychiatric condition. If true, then will changing the name from prisons to “hospital beds for the insane” not also accomplish your goal and achieve the same results?
Show me — Some prisons were/are called reformatories. But those don’t actually aid reform. Similarly, penitenturies don’t cause the inmates to become penitent. Just as other forms of prison, all the prisoners usually become even more mentally ill. The state hospitals for the insane actually attempt to help; in Washington state the staffing ratio is 5 staff for each inmate.
Without some rehabilitation the released prisoner becomes a repeat offender. Halfway houses work for those that are reasonably sane, assuming that the prison experience didn’t actually make them worse.
@ David B. Benson
The recidivism rates for prisons and rehab programs speak for themselves. And they are appalling.
The fact that the most common psychiatric disorder found in prisons is NOT amenable to treatment also speaks for itself and reveals the utter silliness of of attributing any significance as to whether a facility designed for incarceration is called a prison, a jail, a reformatory or any similar label.
‘Attempting to help’ is laudable. However, if you are really not providing significant help then who are we kidding? Under those circumstances, you are only going through the motions to make yourself feel better as certainly the ‘patient’ is not benefiting from the ineffective ‘treatment’. And to throw into such a circumstance “staffing ratio” in the face of lousy results demonstrates preoccupation with process rather than results.
“Without some rehabilitation the released prisoner becomes a repeat offender”. Again, the recidivism rates suggest that whatever “some rehabilitation” constitutes, it does NOT work.
The burden is upon those that offer ‘treatment’ and ‘rehabilitation’ to demonstrate that it works BEFORE they are just funded. By funding ineffective treatments and methods, we not only subject ‘patients’ to worthless ‘rehabilitation’ and God knows what else, we consume resources that could be better used in research attempting to find effective methods of treatment.
Bullets seem like a much cheaper option.
We spent all our grandchildren’s money on Ukraine, DEI and just buying votes. Venezuela, here we come.
Not even close. We spent it on COVID management, COVID vaccines, COVID tests, COVID vaccine, Inflation Reduction Act, Forgiving student loans, IRS agents, giving $ to Iran and financial support to the UN, HAMAS and the PLA.
What if the same accusation were made against you, Benson?
Imagine someone, and I can’t imagine who would, saying that Benson is certifiably and actionably crrrrrazy!
“Unfortunately we seriously underfund and under-legislate mental illness”
David, Let us assume you are correct. What do you want to do with the money?
S. Meyer — More mental health counseling, often required by the court. More insane asylums. Whatever the experts might suggest as helpful.
“S. Meyer — More mental health counseling, often required by the court. More insane asylums. Whatever the experts might suggest as helpful.”
David, the experts want more prominent offices and higher pay. Many of the people we are concerned about refuse institutionalization. How much of a difference is there between a bed in an insane asylum and a bed in a hospital where violent people are concerned? How will counseling help this woman?
S. Meyer — Don’t be asinine.
She committed a crime, maybe enough of one that the law requires locking her up. If so, in an institution with mental health services ought to do better than a cell in the lockup.
Anyway, she needs somebody to talk to about her problems.
David, I don’t know why you called my comment asinine. My words had nothing to do with that woman and everything to do with what you wanted for the mentally ill.
S. Meyer, your first sentence.
“David, the experts want more prominent offices and higher pay.”
David, the above was my first sentence. Go into any private hospital of any size. Go to the office of the CEO and take a look at his office. Compare that to the places where the doctors write their notes. You will note a big difference. Next, check the salaries of these executives. Don’t get jealous. Third, write an apology to me.
After you do one to three, go back to my first reply, “What do you want to do with the money?” Never say, “Whatever the experts might suggest as helpful.” because my answer will be repeated. Understand the complexity of the problem. There is a lot of money, but we need the knowledge or abilities to solve the problem. A lot of money is wasted.
S. Meyer — I checked the compensation of the top 5 employees of Pullman Regional Hospital (the one I go to all too often these days). These are comparable, but not higher than, the compensation of the senior M.D.s who practice at the hospital.
So once again we see that you don’t know didly about areas outside those of your competence.
Stick to what you know.
For reference, two of my children are practicing M.D.s.
“So once again we see that you don’t know didly …”
David, sometimes you should be silent. Pullman Hospital is a small hospital where the CEO’s top degree is a master’s.
The median salary for physicians in your neighboring state, Oregon, is $352,000. The median salary for your area is probably lower. How much “senior doctors” make at your hospital compared to the median wage in Oregon is unknown to me.
Based on your drivel, graduates with master’s degrees should be earning ~$352,000.
Larger hospitals pay more and provide more abundant spaces.
That you have two MDs for children doesn’t suddenly make you a healthcare expert.
I’m pretty sure an ass whooping would do the most good.
An attitude adjustment.
The prosecutor might have legitimately determined that, under New York law, her having been high at the time, plus her drug and mental health history, would negate the mens rea for attempted murder. Not knowing New York criminal law, I state no opinion. Separately, however, she certainly should have previously been criminally incarcerated, and/or civilly committed for drug and mental health care, in New York or wherever else she committed the acts Professor Turley cites – New England College is in New Hampshire – to protect the public, one purpose of incarceration and committment, and hopefully rehabilitate and treat her, another purpose.
PS – I’m a Democrat.
No need to state you are a Democrat. Your ‘hope in rehabilitation’ was the final clue (check out the rate of recidivism for drug rehab) as Sahara Dula has already demonstrated what recidivism means in the context of criminal activity
Rehabilitation has always been one purpose of criminal law – one: check any first-year law school Criminal Law textbook. Retribution, i.e., punishment, and deterrence are other, coequal purposes. No, rehabilitation efforts do not always work, hence the “hopefully.” The same principle applies to mental health treatment: the intent is to resolve the problem, at least ameliorate or manage it. That likewise does not always work, emphasis on “always.” Those are the goals of the respective systems, undertanding that they will not always be achieved; they are not simply my “Democrat” belief. And having studied both criminal and mental health law, I am aware of recidivism.
It is unfortunate that “Democrats” is the reflexive, i.e., knee-jerk, default setting for comments about certain political and societal issues. We do not all have identical opinions on all issues, as neither do Republicans or members of any other party. I certainly do not assert “Republicans,” or any other plural form, as a broad-brush characterization of all members of any group.