Who is Irene Tsakos? Slain NYPD detective Anastasios Tsakos' widow breaks down as paramedic describes his grisly injuries at trial
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
QUEENS, NEW YORK: Irene Tsakos, widow of veteran NYPD detective Anastasios Tsakos, who was killed in a hit-and-run, broke down into tears when a paramedic described her late husband’s gruesome injuries in a courtroom on Tuesday, October 17.
New York Presbyterian EMS Kevin Beverly testified at the manslaughter trial of accused drunk driver Jessica Beauvais, 34, in the Queens Supreme Court.
"His face was split in two," said Beverly, adding, "There was a lot of facial trauma, a lot of swelling, bleeding, bleeding from the ears, bruising on the neck area. He had a left leg amputation below the knee halfway down," as per the New York Post.
As he proceeded, Irene sobbed openly in the gallery. She was temporarily escorted from the courtroom by supporters before prosecutors displayed ghastly crime scene images of the cop’s body.
The pictures showed Anastasios' face covered in blood, his eyes closed, his nose visibly broken, and his mouth open.
How did Anastasios Tsakos die?
In the early hours of April 27, 2021, the 43-year-old father of two young children was investigating an accident on the Long Island Expressway when Jessica Beauvais, 34, apparently slammed into him.
According to prosecutors, Beauvais at that moment was high on drugs and had a blood alcohol level of .15, nearly twice the legal limit. She left his body battered on the road and apparently drove off in her damaged 2013 Volkswagen.
During the opening arguments before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise, Assistant District Attorney Greg Lasak Jr said, "(Anastasios') organs and bones were crushed. His leg was amputated. He landed 171 feet from impact. She left him there on the side of the road to die, without his leg," aimed at the jury.
Anastasios, a 14-year NYPD veteran, was promoted to the rank of detective after his tragic death. Bodycam footage that captured his horrifying final moments was shown in court as his former partner cried on the witness stand.
Jessica Beauvais' attorney suggests that Anastasios Tsakos was partially at fault
Jorge Santos argued that Anastasios Tsakos should’ve been wearing a reflective safety vest and claimed he wasn’t paying enough attention to passing traffic.
"Officer Tsakos was sitting on the police car. Regulations require him to be facing traffic but he was text messaging on his phone looking down," argued Santos, adding, "I will remind you, you promised to give Ms. Beauvais a fair trial. I’m going to ask you to keep an open mind."
Charges against Beauvais include vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, drunken driving, reckless endangerment, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Beauvais, who has been held at Rikers Island since her arrest, faces up to 20 years in prison.