A New York state trooper was charged with manslaughter Monday for shooting an unarmed motorist to death after he refused to get out of his car following a high-speed chase.

Trooper Anthony Nigro pleaded not guilty to first- and second-degree manslaughter at an arraignment in Buffalo, where the killing took place last year, and was released without bail. The charges in the death of James Huber, 38, are a rare example of a criminal case being brought against an officer by New York's attorney general, who has the authority to investigate the lethal use of force by law enforcement.

The president of the union that represents Nigro defended him, saying the slaying was justified.

TWO POLICE OFFICERS SHOT DURING RESIDENCE SEARCH IN NEW YORK

The trooper's body camera video captured the fatal encounter on Feb. 12, 2022.

Troopers first spotted Huber, a resident of North East, Pennsylvania, speeding on Interstate 90 near Buffalo and pursued him at speeds that topped 100 mph.

The pursuing officers broke off the chase after Huber's vehicle exited the highway, but Nigro caught up to Huber on a street in downtown Buffalo and blocked his path with his cruiser.

Body camera footage released by the state attorney general's office shows Nigro, a nearly 16-year veteran of the state police, holding his gun in front of him as he approaches the car. He orders Huber to get out, cursing at him. Huber turns away from the trooper and says, "Go away," and then "never," and "nope" as the trooper continues to yell at him to get out of the car, his gun just inches from the motorist's head.

Huber puts his hand on the car's shifter, as if to put it in gear. The trooper yanks on the hood of Huber's sweatshirt, then fires two shots and falls to the ground as the car lurches backward, briefly dragging him.

The car moved in reverse out of camera range, crashed and landed on its side on a parking ramp.

The body camera footage shows Nigro running to the car. He radios, "Driver's been hit. I'm fine."

Huber died of gunshot wounds at the scene. His death was investigated by Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, whose office brought the charges.

NEW YORK POLICE OFFICERS STABBED, SUSPECT SHOT AND KILLED

New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association President Charles Murphy said in a statement that Nigro should not have faced criminal charges. He said Huber's dangerous driving "threatened the safety of innocent motorists."

"Our understanding and review of the facts in this case confirm that, while the outcome was tragic, Trooper Nigro’s actions were in accordance with his training and the law, and that he was justified in his use of force," Murphy said.

The state police said in a statement that the department has cooperated with the attorney general’s investigation and will continue to do so.

Cary Arnold, a Pennsylvania woman who has a daughter with Huber, told the Buffalo News that Huber might have been heading for a rally in support of Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates at the time of the shooting.

France’s beloved abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel has reached a ripe old age. It's been 1,000 years since the laying of its first stone.

The millennial of the UNESCO World Heritage site and key Normandy tourism magnet is being celebrated until November with exhibits, dance shows and concerts. And now a presidential visit.

French President Emmanuel Macron went there Monday and delivered a speech in which he called on the French to "push themselves further" in global and existential challenges like that of climate change. He drew a comparison with the abbey that has stood strong over time and embodies the "French spirit" of "resilience" and "resistance." It was veiled rhetoric, coming one day before another protest against his contested pension reform law that has been passed.

BIBLICAL SITE WHERE JESUS HEALED BLIND MAN EXCAVATED FOR PUBLIC VIEW: 'AFFIRMS SCRIPTURE'

Ever since former President François Mitterrand in 1983, France’s leaders have flocked to this symbolically important site to send out political messages. In 2007, former President Nicolas Sarkozy even launched his presidential campaign there.

Macron’s presidential advisers had said of this visit that the "walls and the eternity of the Mount" seem to carry "the notions of resistance and resilience" of the D-Day landings that are being commemorated this week in the same region.

Macron also visited a new exhibit tracing the Romanesque abbey's history via 30 objects and pieces, including a restored statue of Saint Michael. Legend has it that the archangel Michael appeared in 708, duly instructing the bishop of nearby Avranches to build him a church on the rocky outcrop.

HISTORIC WRIGHT BROTHERS AIRPLANE FACTORY DAMAGED IN FIRE

The exhibit, two years in the making, opened last month. It covers the complex process of building what is considered an architectural jewel on a rocky island linked to the mainland only by a narrow causeway at high tide.

Four crypts were constructed on the granite tip along with a church on top. The exhibit explains how the original structure, built in 966, became too small for pilgrims, spurring on the builders to create the 11th-century abbey that stands to this day.

France has spent more than 32 million euros ($34 million) over 15 years to restore the building, and the work is nearing completion. Authorities have also tried in recent years to protect the monument’s surrounding environment from the impact of mass tourism.

One of the most popular French destinations outside Paris, Mont-Saint-Michel island attracted 2.8 million visitors last year, including 1.3 million for the abbey. It was not closed to visitors for the presidential visit, but local authorities were taking measures to make it go as smoothly as possible.