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Kirk Walker

Age : 37

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 08/28/2024

Location : Henry Hudson Parkway near West 154th Street

City : New York

County : Manhattan

State : New York

Agency : New York Police Department

Officer(s) :Boubacar Barry

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/24/2024, at approximately 2:20 a.m., Kirk Walker Jr., 38, was killed in a head-on collision on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan while returning from a celebration with his cousin, Robert “Todd” McLaurin, 40. Walker was scheduled to marry his fiancée, Shauntea Weaver, the following day.
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The sequence leading to the fatal crash began when a Chevrolet Silverado driven by 17-year-old Jimmy Connors struck a vehicle associated with off-duty NYPD Officer Boubacar Barry near Dyckman Street. Barry then followed Connors in his personal vehicle. Later court filings specifically identified Barry and alleged that he pursued Connors at high speed rather than simply reporting the collision and allowing on-duty police to respond.
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Connors drove down an exit ramp, made a U-turn and began driving south in the northbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway. Barry continued following him. A later civil lawsuit alleges that both vehicles were traveling at excessive speeds and driving erratically against the flow of traffic during the pursuit.
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Near West 154th Street, Connors's pickup crashed head-on into the Dodge Challenger carrying Walker and McLaurin. Both men were killed. The pickup subsequently struck another vehicle and caught fire. Connors left the crash scene on foot.
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Connors was located the following day at the Canadian border and was eventually returned to New York. Prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and other offenses arising from the crash. He pleaded not guilty.
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The role of off-duty Officer Barry became a significant issue after the crash. Contemporary reporting said the New York Attorney General's Office was examining whether Barry's pursuit contributed to the fatal collision.
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In July 2025, Walker's family filed a civil lawsuit naming Connors, Barry, New York City and the Manhattan nightclub where Connors had allegedly been drinking. The complaint alleges that Barry engaged in a high-speed wrong-way pursuit and that his conduct contributed directly to the crash that killed Walker. These remain allegations in civil litigation.
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Walker was a father of three. His family had gathered for what was supposed to be his wedding weekend, and the fatal crash occurred only hours before the planned wedding festivities. A family fundraiser established after the crash also included support for McLaurin's family.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
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Boubacar Barry was the off-duty NYPD officer identified in subsequent litigation as pursuing Connors before the fatal wrong-way collision. Walker's family's lawsuit alleges that Barry's pursuit was reckless and contributed to Walker's death.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://nypost.com/2024/08/29/us-news/wrong-way-nyc-driver-who-killed-groom-to-be-first-hit-off-duty-cop-police-sources/
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/henry-hudson-parkway-wrong-way-crash/
https://www.longislandpress.com/2025/07/29/suit-jimmy-connors-syosset/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/driver-crash-killed-groom-eve-141900628.html
GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-kirk-walker-and-robert-mclaurin-family-support