Off-duty Colonie police officer won't face charges in fatal 2025 Latham crash

An off-duty Colonie police officer who fatally hit a pedestrian won’t face criminal charges. The crash happened late on May 27, 2025, in Latham. John Bonds was hit while pushing a shopping cart on Old Loudon Road. The officer flagged down someone to call 911. PREVIOUS: Graphic footage released in deadly crash involving an off-duty officer An investigation found Bonds was in a dark area with his back to traffic and wearing non-reflective clothing. The officer initially refused breath and blood tests, but passed field sobriety tests. About three hours later, he recorded a blood alcohol level of 0.02% — well below the legal limit of 0.08%. Investigators say they found no evidence of dangerous driving and could not prove the officer was intoxicated. “In this case, the evidence does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s conduct was a gross deviation from the standard that would have been observed by a reasonable person in the same circumstances, or that the officer failed to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death,” said Attorney General Letitia James’ office, in a statement. “The officer had alcohol in his system when the collision occurred, but there is insufficient evidence to establish that he was intoxicated or had a BAC above the legal limit.” Body cam video, security video, witnesses, an officer interview and a reconstruction report were all used in the investigation. MORE: Fire coordinator cited after crashing with Jeep near airport