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Crime

NYC Apologizes for Sending Hefty Bill to Family of Man Killed by Police Cruiser

Oct. 6, 2012 3:56pm Erica Ritz

New York City Apologizes for Billing Tamron Robinson After He Was Killed by Police Cruiser

(Photo: NBC4)

(TheBlaze/AP) — New York City officials have apologized for sending a collection letter to a man who was fatally struck by a police cruiser, billing him $710 for the damage his body did to the vehicle.

In April, police officers in Brooklyn caught 23-year-old Tamon Robinson digging up paving stones, and he was fleeing on foot when he was hit by the vehicle. He reportedly slipped into a coma after the accident, and died six days later without regaining consciousness.

Then, last month, Robinson’s mother got a letter from a law firm retained by the city. It was addressed to her dead son and demanded that he pay for the damage within 10 days.

Robinson’s mother told The New York Daily News she was outraged.

“We’re still grieving, and this is like a slap in the face,” Robinson’s mom, Laverne Dobbinson, 45, remarked. “They want my son to pay for damage to the vehicle that killed him. It’s crazy.”

But that’s not all. The Daily News continues:

Dobbinson said her family has been dismayed from the start by the lack of respect shown by the city.
As Robinson lay brain dead in Brookdale Medical Center, cops kept him shackled to his bed under police guard.

Dobbinson said she had to get permission from the NYPD to visit her son’s bedside — and was permitted to stay for only 20 minutes.

In a made-for-movie twist, on the day of Robinson’s funeral, cops broke down the door of the family’s apartment — and later acknowledged they had executed a search warrant at the wrong location. The city repaired the door the same day, according to Dobbinson.

At the time of his death, Robinson worked at a Connecticut muffin shop in Fort Greene, but also tried to make extra money hawking items, including the paving stones, to scrap dealers, his mother said. [Emphasis added]

Here is an NBC4 interview with the mother from October, when she had just received the notice:

A spokeswoman for the city’s law department told The New York Times the notice never should have been sent, and it’s unclear why it happened.

“We don’t know any instance where we send letters like that,” Paul J. Browne said. “I’m not sure how it came out.”

Cristina Gonzalez, a lawyer for the collection firm, added: “We were not aware of the circumstances…This type of receivable is not something we pursue when the alleged debtor is deceased.”

The family’s lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, reportedly intends to file a lawsuit on behalf of the family seeking $20 million for what he claims was a wrongful death. The Brooklyn district attorney’s office is also investigating the matter.

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Comments (53)

palmettopalflorida
Posted on October 7, 2012 at 11:25am
This is, somewhat, like a bit from the 1980′s film “Brazil,” where at Christmas, due to a typographical error, the wrong man is arrested by the “authorities” as he and his family meagerly celebrate the holiday. So he is arrested, questioned (tortured actually) and dies in custody, then the family receives a bill for the “government services” which have been provided to the family. Nothing amusing in either story.

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teddrunk
Posted on October 7, 2012 at 7:51am
I’m confused. Cops found a thief in the middle of a crime, but were too fat or lazy to chase him down by foot? Did he run into the path of the squad car? (his fault) or was he run down by the squad car. (excessive force). Did the cops trade in their pepper spray for a procedure using an Impala/Crown Vic Police Interceptor/Dodge Charger.

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Fat Albert
Posted on October 7, 2012 at 5:28am
I cannot seem to put this in perspective this guy steals a few pavers and the cops can be judge, jury and executioner whereas John Corzine steals hundreds of millions and they cannot seem to find where he did anything wrong. Did this man need to be punished absolutely but also do the big thieves on Wall street need it just as bad if not more.

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- loriann12
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 9:30am
  I was thinking the same thing, pursue a man for stealing paving stones in a vehicle and run him down? Maybe they were too fat to run on foot to catch him? Seems a bit of over-kill, no pun intended. I think I’d sue the NYCPD for funeral costs.
  
  Report this comment
- DSTSS2010
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 2:06pm
  He must not have been a Democrat, otherwise the NYPD would have helped him dig up the pavers.
  
  Report this comment
repairsea
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 11:41pm
If he was not committing several crimes such as stealing pavers, avoiding arrest, he would not have put himself in a situation to get run over by a cruiser. He is responsible for his actions. The saddest part of this story if the driver of the cruiser has to live with this.

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- SkyeOne
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 8:59am
  Even if he’d had a trial for stealing and avoiding arrest, he wouldn’t have been put to death. No, the saddest part is that he was killed by a supposedly trained officer.
  
  Report this comment
- Realman30
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 11:46am
  Ditto!
  
  The deceased criminal brought this open himself.
  
  Report this comment
- sligresda
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 2:18pm
  @ repair….next time youre speeding and if you get into an accident and die please have someone remind your family that since you were breaking the law you got what you deserved. had you not been breaking the law, you would still be alive. you’d get no sympathy from me. some of you people on this site are real maroons. no wonder i prefer the company of my dogs.
  
  Report this comment
- 00100111
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 3:46pm
  Our justice system is trial by jury, not summary execution. He may have been a thief but he still deserves a trial by jury. For any of you to say he deserved to die because he was committing a criminal act is heinously hypocritical. I thought you were supposed to be small government conservatives? But that BS stops when it is something that fits your own narrative, right? So if you are ever speeding, and the cop just comes up and puts a bullet in your head, your family will need to be reminded that you’re ok with what the cop just did.
  
  I really hope I don’t know any of you in real life.
  
  Report this comment
- AzThunder
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 4:02pm
  i agree, The deceased criminal brought this on himself.
  
  Report this comment
ChileRelleno
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 11:21pm
Soon it will be like China, they execute you and send your family the bill for the firing squad ammo.

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mtsnj
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 9:46pm
send him a bill for all the pavers he stole then

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- havearealbirthcert
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 10:20am
  killed during the commission of a crime sounds like they did the tax payers a favor TFB!!!!!!!!!
  
  Report this comment
COFemale
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 9:12pm
Yes he was stealing pavers, yes he ran, and yes he was hit buy a cop car and he died. I am not sure he is responsible for the damage, as the cops had a choice to hit him or not hit him; that is on the city. It was also callous by greedy lawyers.

The fact they went later and broke down the families door is suspicious to me. It sounds like intimidation to me. I agree, they should sue just on principle not the fact their son ran. The crime committed did not deserve the outcome he received.

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scrudge
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 8:44pm
Ah Yes….. bring back the BIG GULP 32 OZ. that will cure anything

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RANGER1965
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 7:06pm
The likelyhood of accidents, mistakes, and Murphy’s Law goes up exponentially during combat. To a lesser extent the same things occur at the scene of a crime, during a police chase, and anytime there’s violence.

The criminal didn’t deserve to be crushed by a car and killed. And the decisions of the police officer deserve a hard look. But unless it can be determined that conscious intention by the police was involved, I have to see this as an awful accident.

Recieving a bill by the city will not look good in upcoming wrongful death lawsuit. It might be the last straw for an emotional and empathetic jury. Things like this happen when you have a gigantic bureacracy. It’s like a lumbering uncaring beast doing more damage than good.

This kinda reminds me of what Stalin would do when he executed an enemy of the state. He would send the man’s family a bill for the cost of the bullet used. If it was not paid he would send his “police” to go round up the man’s nearest kin.

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MrsPotatohead
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 7:06pm
The guy is deceased. His family shouldn’t have to pay his bill. Is that how it is in this country now? Bill collectors can go after relatives of dead people to get paid? Unless you’re a spouse of the dead person, no one else should have to pay those debts. What next? Friends getting the bill?

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- spirited
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 10:30pm
  California rurals are expected to pay a “fee” for 911 fire protection.
  
  Report this comment
- BubbaSC
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 2:20pm
  @spirited
  This ain’t just a Kalifornia thing, been true in South Carolina since at least since the 1990′s. Friend had an ambulance called to an accident, went to hospital, received a bill from EMS for $200 for the trip. Ten years ago daughter was in a wreck as a passenger, she was under the age of 18, she was 17, EMS would not let her call us, said she had to ride in the ambulance with the woman driver of the wreck, Needless to say we received a $285 bill from EMS. Daughter only rode in the back, no work or checks on her, driver was claiming back pain. Called EMS they claimed she was checked out with blood pressure and all, which NEVER HAPPENED! Plus the driver was sent a bill for $285 also, so EMS was claiming $570. Needless to say the answer I was given, “Well just let the drivers Insurance pay it”
  WTH? nope didn’t pay it REFUSED. So anytime government does something for you not only do you pay taxes but the gov will bill you for EMS, Fire and whatever they can dream up!
  
  Report this comment
Arnold_Ziffel
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 6:55pm
No problem with the chlorine they put in the gene pool when this perp got a dirt nap. BIG PROBLEM with the B&E by the police when they did a “wrong address” search warrant. THAT is worth the $20M, with $100,000 from EACH INDIVIDUAL COP who was there.

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xyfbx
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 6:01pm
I am not saying he deserved to die but it was not an accident that he was being chased by police. He was being chanced because he was committing a property crime. He made money stealing things and selling them to scrap dealers. He may not have been a murderer or drug dealer but he was a criminal, fleeing from police and when you do that, it is on you, not on the city. I hope they charge interest on the unpaid fee, hospital bills and a bill for the paving stones.

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- BSdetector
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 6:37pm
  Agreed. It sucks that he decided to break the law and got himself killed doing it… but he was
  breaking
  the
  law
  and there’s no one to blame but him.
  
  Report this comment
- turkey13
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 6:51pm
  Hey – let up on NYC, they are flat broke. Bloomberg has run off the tourist – no carry permits, no big gulps, nothing but taxes and murder rates out of site. I’m sure NYC is also self insured so it would have come out of their empty pockets. they had to send the bill to someone.
  
  Report this comment
Jeff Bassett
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 5:40pm
I am struck by the callousness of the posters here.
Yes, he was committing a criminal act, but not one that would deserve this ending. The police were negligent in his death, even though he was at fault in fleeing. The criminal act does not warrant the outcome and certainly although it was an accident, it is tragic. Worse what the family has to go through afterwards. The outcome is not befitting of the resulting death or the treatment of the family.

Of course all those who above otherwise feel differently, it is good to know none of you or your children have never made a mistake and could possibly suffer in any way for such as in this case.

John 8:3-11

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- Abigail Adams
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 5:47pm
  Well said, Jeff!
  
  Report this comment
- 13th Imam
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 6:10pm
  Just post where you two dolts live, so that we may come and use your vehicles, eat your food, drink your wine, steal your electronics, abuse your children. Would that e just fine with you? Probably not as you seem to be the usual liberal , who lives off the hard work of others. Please post your bank account numbers and pin #’s also, as you will be fine sharing with everyone , Right?
  Nah, didn’t think so.
  
  Report this comment
- kevinj319
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 7:09pm
  Wrong. It’s not about whether he “deserved” it or not. If he hadn’t been committing a crime, this accident that caused his death would not have happened. He was the impetus for the events leading to his own death. Maybe you haven’t been paying attention, but we don’t live in a universe based on what is “deserved,” we live in a universe of cause and effect.
  
  Report this comment
- Shasta
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 8:24pm
  Well said, Kevin!
  
  Report this comment
- palmettopalflorida
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 11:50am
  I, as well, am struck by the callousness of many of the posters. Just when was it in contemporary America, that the concept of “Due Process (of the Law)” was replaced by the mentality of the “Lynch Mob,” with so many advocating the implementation of “street justice.” You may think you are expressing conservative ideals with such thought when in actuality you are hand-in-hand with the mindset of every petty dictator and extremist Leftist totalitarian; i.e. Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Castro, et al.; that have cursed this World. Let me be even more frank. If the officer who had run down the victim had not been a law enforcement officer, would he not at this moment be in custody and charged with “vehicular manslaughter” to be judged in a “court of law” by his “peers?” When has it become customary for law enforcement officers to get a pass for their actions simply because it was determined, departmentally, to be “justifiable?”
  
  Report this comment
- BSdetector
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 4:28pm
  @palmettopalflorida
  No one is saying it was “justified” because there is nothing to justify. It was an accident caused by Tamon Robinson.
  Yeah it sucks that it had to end this way, but don’t blame the cop for doing his job and chasing a criminal, blame the idiot who broke the law then jumped in front of a moving car.
  
  I guess if I broke into your house at night and your dog bit me, you would say the dog it’s a bad dog and should be punished, wouldn’t you? No? If not, then you are a hypocrite.
  
  Report this comment
ModerationIsBest
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 5:27pm
I love you Blaze freaks, I really do.

Will never cease to amaze me how low you will stoop to show your hatred of everything that you disagree with.

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- shagstar
  Posted on October 7, 2012 at 2:21pm
  damn your bad luck moderation! i disagree with your comment.
  
  Report this comment
Tri-ox
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 5:23pm
Why are they apologizing? The family SHOULD BE billed for all costs associated with this man’s crime.

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bikerdogred1
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 5:19pm
Where is this a slap in the face,the kid was stealing so pay up.If you don’t like here leave,go to a country that understands stealing.

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dlivelli
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:54pm
Although the loss of the young man is tragic, and sending the bill was kind of stupid….the fact still remains that he WAS committing a crime when the whole thing occurred…..right? Yes 2 wrongs don’t make a right but let me guess…..they will now sue the city for lack of compassion. Sorry, but had he not been doing the crime he might very well still be alive. So let me get this straight….he commits a crime and the city gets sued……? Maybe it is the parasite lawyers that need to be put in jail. It is a sad state when those that commit a crime get rewarded through some type of lawsuit….seems backwards to me……? I was always taught that crime doesn’t pay……it does under obama and the liberals……..is this what we want to be the new norm?

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- Elena2010
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 5:05pm
  No, they are suing for wrongful death to the tine of $20M.
  
  I think that if you were committing a crime and died in the process, there is no grounds for “wrongful death” suits, unless you are already under police control and they kill you.
  
  Report this comment
Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:34pm
I am not Normally a fan of the police,especially in NYC, but in some instances I think they should even send a bill for the bullet. That is right it is New York City…A Bill for the 32 bullets.

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spookchaser
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:33pm
Twenty Million lawsuit——stealing must pay pretty good in NYC. Normally you sue for what a person would make in a lifetime plus a little extra.
Looking for the lottery.

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nesmond
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:33pm
This woman is making too much out of what is clearly a clerical error. Anyway, the young man was 23 and only he was responsible for the bill, not his mom. She could have just tossed the thing in the trash. and forgot about it. at the most, a phone call could have cleared the whole thing up. She wants to profit from this, which would explain a lot about her son’s character. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

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I SPY
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:25pm
Next will be the lawsuit for one BILLION DOLLARS supported by the reverend Jesse Jackson and that short bus kid Al Sharpton.

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- antiprogressive
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:45pm
  The Rev and Sharptounge only show up if it was a WHITE cop.
  The article didn’t specify – telling ME he must NOT have been.
  It only says he was hit by the CAR.
  But if the CAR was white….
  
  And the “estate” SHOULD be responsible for any damages.
  But that’s likely a wash if he was stealing bricks out of the street…
  If an innocent bystander is killed in the melee – the crook gets charged –
  at least in SOME states, not sure about NY.
  
  Bad timing on the apartment raid.
  Real bad…
  
  Report this comment
chips1
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:22pm
If they just buff the car, the blood will be hard to notice. His next semester exam was going to be convience store robbery. Way to go parent(s).

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vonMises
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:21pm
It also makes me laugh that the law firm claimed that they wouldn’t have billed him if they had known he was dead. LOL Of course they would. Vultures don’t worry about little things like that!

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Exrepublisheep
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:10pm
The family’s lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, reportedly intends to file a lawsuit on behalf of the family seeking $20 million for what he claims was a wrongful death. The Brooklyn district attorney’s office is also investigating the matter. IT’S PAYDAY!! YAY!! Tamon? Tamon who? Oh that’s right…WE”RE BROKEN HEARTED!! Poor Teman..er…Temon, uh, Tamon…

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Psychosis
Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:10pm
was digging up paving stones ……………. STEALING

was running from cops …………………….

died due to his own actions

HE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS

if he wasnt STEALING, the cops wouldnt have chased him

if he wasnt STEALING there would be no reason to run

if he wasnt RUNNING the cops wouldnt have CHASED him

END OF STORY pay the costs and raise the rest of your brats to obey the law

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- thekuligs
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:27pm
  Exactly. I am unmoved by the families loss. Any death is sad, but he died by his own fault.
  
  Report this comment
- grimmster
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:28pm
  @Psychosis. That would be hoodbrats……..
  
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- Capt_Gregg
  Posted on October 6, 2012 at 4:58pm
  From what his mother is reported to have said, I gather this wasn’t the first time he had stolen paving stones. (Theft & destruction of public property)
  He ran from the officers. (Failure to obey a police officer, resisting arrest & felony evasion)
  He was struck by a police car. (Jaywalking?, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle & obstructing traffic)
  
  Sorry, no sympathy here.
  
  Report this comment

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