Injury to Officer Who Was Pursuing a Suspect Not an “Accident”

In finding that injury to a police officer was not the result of an “accident” within the meaning of the Retirement and Social Security Law, the Third Department wrote:

Here, petitioner was performing his regular police duties chasing a suspect within his authorized patrol area at the time he was injured. As we have recognized, the “pursuit of suspects is an ordinary employment duty of a police officer” … .  Petitioner’s pursuit took him through a wooded area to the edge of a ravine where he stopped because he recognized the danger of falling into it. Nevertheless, he stood too close to the edge, the edge gave way under his weight and he fell into the ravine in a manner that he reasonably could have anticipated… .  Matter Roth v DiNapoli, 515078, 3rd Dept, 4-11-13