New York Attorney General Letitia James released video footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Ronald Smith, who died on April 7, 2022 after an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released videos from police pole cameras near the incident and body-worn cameras that two officers were equipped with. The release of this video follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office in the course of an OSI investigation be released to the public in order to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.
Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.
The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.
Warning: These videos contain imagery that viewers may find disturbing.
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