Wife blames two officers for husband's death

QUEENS (WABC) -- The story of a family tragedy now involves allegations that NYPD officers in Queens caused the death of an elderly man.

He was, his widow claims, forced to walk half a mile in the snow, to his home, and then return with ID.

Moments later, he had a heart attack and died.

72-year-old Doris Hudson is still grieving from burying her husband over the weekend, but she made her way into the crowded office in St. Albans, Queens of Councilman Leroy Comrie.

She had lost her partner of over 52 years because of a summons, and she wants the city to know her story.

"I just want justice," Hudson said.

Hudson was surrounded by two councilmen, representatives from two minority police groups, and her family.

They are all angry over how police handled this case.

It all started on January 14th.

Robert and Doris Hudson drove to a pharmacy in Queens Village to pick up medicine.

However, their lives forever changed when two police officers pulled up and issued Mrs. Hudson, who was sitting in the passenger seat, a summons for not wearing a seatbelt.

Hudson says she was wearing a seatbelt, but she didn't have ID.

Hudson claims the officers wouldn't let her husband drive to pick it up.

Instead, she says they sent her elderly husband on a half mile hike back and forth on foot through the snow and cold.

Hudson said the officers didn't wait, and finally decided her name and address on her prescriptions was enough identification.

But the walk was too much for Mr. Hudson.

When he got back, he suffered a heart attack behind the wheel of his car as he drove off.

He later died in the hospital.

"They did this to him," Hudson said.

The official police statement on this case tells a different story.

It reads the officers never directed anyone to go home.

They claim they had enough identification at the scene and it was Mr. Hudson who chose to walk home for additional paperwork.

Mrs. Hudson's lawyer is filing a wrongful death suit against the police, but Mrs. Hudson says all she wants is justice.

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