Mom of Shirley teen Anthony Stinson, who died after Suffolk police cruiser collision, sues county

The mother of a Shirley teen who died after a police cruiser struck him on his bicycle last year filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against Suffolk County that she hopes will lead to better training for officers.

"My justice will be, that if a mistake was made, let’s put a plan of correction for the police department. I want to know what street safety training and how many 911 drills police go through," Claudia Stinson said Tuesday in a Newsday interview.

"I think she was careless," the mother added of the Suffolk police officer whose cruiser fatally hit her 13-year-old son, Anthony Stinson. "We cannot be careless when we have the public safety on our hands."

The lawsuit, which names Suffolk County as the only defendant, claims Anthony’s death was "due to the carelessness, recklessness and negligence of the defendant, its agents and/or employees." It alleges the officer was speeding, didn't yield the right of way and broke traffic law and department rules "in failing to take such care and caution so as to have avoided the occurrence."

Suffolk County officials said Tuesday they cannot comment on pending litigation. Police haven't disclosed how fast the officer was going, citing the investigation, Newsday previously reported.

The New York Attorney General’s Office, which probes police-involved deaths, has been investigating the crash for 14 months and said Tuesday the investigation is ongoing.

The collision happened just before 8 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2023, as Anthony was riding his bicycle across William Floyd Parkway on the way to his nearby home on Adobe Drive.

Last October, Claudia Stinson filed a $25 million notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit. 

Stinson, 53, said she hopes the lawsuit, as well as the ongoing state attorney general’s office investigation, will not only provide more answers about the fatal collision but lead to improved safety measures for pedestrians.

Suffolk police have said the officer had a green light and was responding with lights and sirens to a 911 call for an elderly patient at the time of the collision, Newsday previously reported. 

Police also previously said the officer swerved the cruiser to try to avoid hitting Anthony, and after colliding with him, hit another car stopped in traffic, a tree and two parked cars near the intersection, Newsday has reported.

Stinson said Tuesday that she has obtained video of the crash from nearby surveillance cameras and provided it to investigators. The mother said that at the time her son was riding across the intersection, there appeared to be a break in traffic.

Stinson conceded her son "crossed when it wasn't his turn" but added: "He probably saw that it was clear for a few hundred feet before and never thought a fast car was coming."

Anthony suffered critical injuries and died two days later. His mother donated his organs, which helped save the lives of five people. 

On Tuesday, Stinson tearfully recalled speaking to the police officer whose cruiser struck Anthony in the aftermath of the collision as she held her son's injured body.

The mother said she asked the officer why she hadn't stopped for the teenager to cross.

"Her answer was, 'I don't know. He went in front of me.' "

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.