A trial judge erred when he ruled that New York City could not offer evidence on the issue of its liability for the suicide of a police officer unless it turned over a complete Internal Affairs Bureau file to the officer's wife, who is pursuing a wrongful death action, an appellate court has ruled.

A unanimous panel of the Appellate Division, Second Department, ruled in Schindler v. the City of New York, 1308/13, that Queens Justice Augustus Agate, before issuing his conditional order, should have inspected the unredacted document in camera to determine if was subject to discovery.

The case stems from the February 2012 death of 14-year police veteran Matthew Schindler, who was on his way home when he pulled over on the Long Island Expressway and shot himself.