The June 17 death of Middleburgh resident Joshua C. Camp, a 31-year-old man who died on a dirt bike after being struck by a police car, may end up before a Schoharie County grand jury, according to Times Journal reporter David Avitabile.
The June 29 issue of the Times Journal reported that Schoharie County District Attorney James Sacket thinks that a grand jury would be the best way to investigate the ongoing case.
According to the New York State Police's original report, Camp died after he was hit by a Schoharie County Sheriff deputy’s patrol car on Friday, June 17.
The deputy had pulled Camp over after spotting Camp driving an unregistered dirt bike, according to the New York State Police.
Camp reportedly fled on the dirt bike from the deputy, who chased him in the patrol car to a lawn behind a residence on Griebel Lane in the village, police say.
There, Camp reportedly "lost control of the dirt-bike, was ejected and subsequently struck by the deputy's marked patrol vehicle," according to the statement.
A grand jury could be convened to hear evidence on the case, Sacket told the Times Journal, but he added that the case could also fall under the jurisdiction of the New York State Attorney General's office because it involved an unarmed citizen and the police.
The deputy, whose name has not been released by either the New York State Police nor the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office, has not returned to duty since the incident, Sheriff Tony Desmond told the Times Journal.
Sheriff Desmond further commented that the deputy has 15 years of experience in the law enforcement field and four years of experience working in Schoharie County.
The State Police have been involved in the investigation from the beginning, after a request was made by the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office for assistance in investigating the details of the fatal collision.
