Police have arrested Tariq Witherspoon, a 30-year-old FDNY EMT, for a hit-and-run that killed beloved Brooklyn teacher Matthew Jansen last May.
According to police, Jansen, a teacher at P.S. 110, was crossing McGuinness Boulevard against traffic in Greenpoint on his 58th birthday, May 18, when he was hit by Witherspoon’s Rolls Royce. Witherspoon allegedly fled the scene.
Witherspoon, a Bushwick resident and an EMT for 11 years, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and a speed violation.
After Jansen’s death, children at the elementary school where he worked put up a memorial wall in his honor, including a student’s drawing of a child crying and messages such as “I love you, Mr. Jensen. RIP.”
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Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “Matthew Jensen was a beloved teacher at P.S.110 who is sorely missed by his students, co-workers, friends and family. We will now seek to bring this defendant to justice for his alleged actions, which left a community heartbroken.”
Tariq Witherspoon has been released after posting $15,000 cash bail. He is suspended from the FDNY without pay.
