A woman who screamed “F–k these cops” after purposely running down a police officer and breaking his leg with her car got “not nearly enough” time in prison at her sentencing Wednesday, a cop union said.
Sahara Dula, 25, was sentenced two years behind bars after she admitted to intentionally plowed over an NYPD cop while driving high into oncoming traffic on the Upper East Side in January 2024.
“The sentence is not nearly enough. This individual tried to run down a New York City police officer. She could have killed him,” railed Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry.
“We’re glad she is going behind bars instead of walking free, but our justice system needs to send a message that there will be zero leniency for attacks on police officers.”
Dula, who infamously admitted to mowing into police “on purpose,” appeared for sentencing before Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Melissa T. Lewis, after she pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree on June 16.
The driver was driving the wrong way on Park Avenue near East 71st Street at around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2024 when she encountered a group of officers in the street, Manhattan prosecutors have said.
Officers were in the area investigating an unrelated robbery at a nearby high-end clothing store and had closed off part of the road.
Video leading up to the intentional barreling shows one of the cops approaching Dula’s Lexus in an attempt to get her in the correct lane, as someone can be heard yelling, “Be careful, be careful!”
Instead of stopping, Dula floored it and struck the cop head-on, causing him to roll up onto the hood of her car and land hard on the street, dramatic footage shows.
The injured officer suffered a fracture to one of his legs, according to cops.
The motorist was arrested at the scene and later went on an anti-cop rant where she said she intentionally plowed through the cop, according to court documents.
“F–k these cops. He wouldn’t move,” Dula said, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors have said that Dula drove her black Lexus northbound in the soundbound lanes of Park Avenue for approximately 10 blocks while high on marijuana.
Cops also found rolling papers and marijuana inside a canister in the cup holder next to the driver’s seat inside Dula’s car.
Her attorney, Patricia Wright, had previously stated that her client, a college criminal justice graduate, suffers from bipolar disorder and receives mental health treatment.
Dula was initially indicted with attempted assault, attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, assault, operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs and reckless driving.
She faced a maximum sentence of up to seven years in prison on the assault wrap.
As part of the plea, Dula will also serve three years of probation after her prison stint.
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