NYS Senator Eric Adams Responds To The Stabbing Death Of A Good Samaritan During The Attempted Robbery Of A Transit Employee By Joining Grieving Family Members To Announce The “flonarza Byas Good Samaritan Law”

New York State Senator Eric Adams (D, Brooklyn), will hold a press conference with family members of Flonarza Byas to announce the "Flonarza Byas Good Samaritan Law. " The bill will be named in honor of Mr. Byas, who was stabbed while coming to the aid of Transit Authority Employee Maurice Parks during an attempted robbery. Senator Adams’ proposed legislation will add a new sub-division to the law concerning Manslaughter. Current law does not allow the District Attorney to charge the perpertrator(s) involved in the Maurice Parks robbery case with the death of Flonarza Byas. The statute will now hold those who commit a violent felony responsible for the death of any innocent person resulting from any actions during the crime.

Senator Adams states: "When an innocent person is killed during the commission of a criminal act, the person(s) responsible for the crime should be accountable. Our laws must send a powerful message that all deaths stemming from a violent felony will be charged to the person(s) who commit that felony. "

NY Penal law currently requires a participant in the crime to have personally caused the death for the crime of felony murder to apply. Since the actions of the three attackers were the proximate cause of the death of the Good Samaritan, however, they should be responsible for the murder.

Senator Adams elaborates: "If the three criminals hadn't attacked Parks, he would never have drawn his knife, and Flonarza Byas would be alive today. My legislation will make future attackers responsible for all the consequences of their felonious actions."