New York Attorney General Letitia James today released body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Chez Fray, who died on December 21, 2025 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Queens.
At 12:35 a.m. on December 21, two NYPD officers went to an apartment building in Queens in response to a 911 call. When officers arrived at the building, they went to the fourth-floor hallway, where they encountered Mr. Fray holding a box cutter. The officers instructed Mr. Fray to drop the boxcutter, but he did not comply. One officer discharged their service weapon, striking Mr. Fray. Mr. Fray was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from two body-worn cameras that officers were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public 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 may have 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: This video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.
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