Ex-trooper on trial for murder is accused of using his car as a battering ram

KINGSTON, New York — A former New York state trooper was charged in court Tuesday with using his patrol car as a battering ram in a high-speed chase that killed an 11-year-old girl, a case a prosecutor called a “deadly abuse of power.”

Christopher Baldner faces several charges for his actions on the night of December 22, 2020, after stopping a Dodge Journey driven by Tristin Goods for speeding. Goods was driving north on the New York State Thruway with his wife and two daughters for a family vacation.

The officer and the driver got into an argument and Baldner pepper-sprayed the interior of the vehicle. The goods took off and Baldner continued at speeds of up to 130 mph, crashing into the SUV twice, causing it to lose control and roll over after the second impact, according to prosecutors.

“He used his patrol car as a weapon and slammed into the back of the Goods’ family car, not once, but twice,” Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told the jury in her opening statement.

Eleven-year-old Monica Goods was found dead inside the vehicle.

Gashi said Baldner’s actions that night were deliberate, willful and depraved. It was not a tragic accident, but a “deadly abuse of power,” she said.

Baldner was indicted in October 2021 for murder, second-degree manslaughter and first-degree reckless endangerment. Three of the six endangerment charges stem from a separate 2019 Thruway case in which he is accused of crashing into the rear of a Dodge Caravan with three people on board, causing the vehicle to crash into a guardrail.

A defense attorney told the jury the prosecution was trying to “demonize” Baldner, who was dealing with a belligerent and uncooperative driver.

Tristin Goods refused to show the trooper his license and registration, or provide his name. He was angry and swearing, despite his family’s pleas to calm down, attorney Anthony Ricco said.

“New York State Trooper Baldner was laser-focused on a man who behaved this way in front of his wife and children,” Ricco said.

Ricco said Baldner did not act out of depravity.

Baldner radioed that evening that the SUV had struck his vehicle, according to court documents. Ricco told the jury it was possible the SUV was decelerating before impact.

Baldner. was released on $100,000 bail. He retired in 2022 after nearly 20 years with the state police.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.