New York State Office of the Attorney General

Office of Special Investigation
October 1, 2022

Second Annual Report Pursuant to
Executive Law Section 70-b

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Letitia James
NYS Attorney General
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Summary of Indictments ................................................................................................................... 4
3. Reports Released by OSI in the Past 12 Months ......................................................................... 6
4. New York City Department of Correction .................................................................................... 19
5. Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 30
5.1 Body Worn Cameras and Dashboard
Cameras….……....…………........................…………….............................................................................30
5.2 Video in Jails and Prisons ....................................................................................................... 31
5.3 Training Police for Behavioral Health
Emergencies……………………...............................................................................................................32
5.4 Suicide Prevention in Jails and
Prisons……...........……………………….................................................................................….......…...….36
5.5 Drug Overdose Prevention in Jails and Prisons .................................................................. 39
6. OSI Data ............................................................................................................................................ 41
7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 51
8. Appendix ........................................................................................................................................... 52
8.1 Table A: OSI Case Data, September 1, 2021 – August 31, 2022 .................................. 52
8.2 Table B: OSI Case Data, April 1, 2021 – August 1,
2021….................................................................................................................................................69
8.3 Table C: OSI Case Data, NYC Department of Corrections
Matters……….......................................................................................................................................76

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1. Introduction
This is the second annual report of the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation
(“OSI”), issued October 1, 2022, pursuant to Paragraph 7 of New York Executive Law Section 70-b
(“Section 70-b”). The first annual report, issued October 1, 2021, can be found here: 2021 OSI
Annual Report.
Effective April 1, 2021, Section 70-b directs OSI to investigate and, if warranted, to prosecute any
criminal offense that a police officer or a peace officer, as defined, may have committed in
connection with any incident in which such officer caused the death of a person by an act or
omission, or in which there is a question whether such officer caused the death.1
Section 70-b makes no distinction between on-duty and off-duty officers, nor between armed and
unarmed decedents. Peace officers, as defined in Section 70-b, include corrections officers in all
jails and prisons in the state.
The Attorney General’s investigative authority and criminal jurisdiction over such incidents are
state-wide and arise, by operation of law, at the time of death (Section 70-b, Paragraph 2). The
Attorney General’s criminal jurisdiction over such incidents supersedes and displaces that of the
District Attorney for the county in which the incident occurred (Section 70-b, Paragraph 4).
As of the date of this report, the members of OSI include 18 assistant attorneys general, including
supervisors, in eight offices around the state (Manhattan, Nassau and Westchester Counties,
Albany, Rochester, Binghamton, Syracuse, and Buffalo) and 15 detectives, including supervisors,
from the Attorney General’s Investigation Division assigned to work with OSI. In addition, OSI has a
policy analyst, who focuses on OSI’s data and recommendations (including for this report); legal
support analysts, who work with attorneys and detectives in investigations, trial preparation, and
the preparation of video (such as body-worn camera footage) for public release; and family liaisons
and a community liaison, who, together with attorneys and detectives, attend meetings with family
members of persons who have died in law enforcement encounters and with members of
communities affected by these incidents.
Assistant attorneys general in OSI are currently prosecuting four indictments, each of which charges
an officer with Murder in the Second Degree and other crimes. See Section 2 for a summary of the
indictments.

Under Executive Order 147, issued in 2015 and in effect through March 31, 2021, the Attorney General had a
narrower form of authority, to investigate and, when warranted, prosecute offenses arising from incidents in which a
police officer (but not a peace officer) caused the death of an unarmed (but not of an armed) civilian. Executive Order
147 can be read here: Executive Order 147.
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In the past 12 months OSI has issued 16 public reports about incidents in which OSI found that an
officer caused a death but determined that criminal charges were not warranted. Such reports are
required by Paragraph 6 of Section 70-b. See Section 3 for a summary of published reports.
In determining whether criminal charges are warranted, OSI’s attorneys are ethically bound to
evaluate whether the admissible evidence obtained in the investigation would carry the
prosecutor’s burden to prove the criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, and, where
relevant, the prosecutor’s burden to disprove the defense of justification beyond a reasonable
doubt at trial. 2
OSI investigates deaths of persons in the custody of corrections departments around the state.
These include deaths of persons in the custody of the New York City Department of Correction
(“NYC DOC”) at Rikers Island, the jail complex operated by NYC DOC, and elsewhere. See Section 4
for summaries of the investigations OSI has completed to date of NYC DOC matters.
Section 70-b authorizes OSI to make recommendations based on its investigative work. Please see
Section 5 for a series of recommendations.
On an annual basis, OSI receives notification of more than 200 incidents in which a death was
caused by an officer, or in which there is a question whether a death was caused by an officer.
More than half of those notifications concern incidents in jails and prisons. See Section 6 and the
Tables in the Appendix for an analysis of OSI’s data, including complete data for the 12-month
period ended August 31, 2022 (Table A), updates on the data reported in the previous OSI annual
report (Table B), and data on cases relating to persons in the custody of the New York City
Department of Correction (Table C).
In the 18 months since Section 70-b went into effect, the most consistent themes in the cases
investigated by OSI are mental illness and drug use. In jails and prisons, persons are dying by
suicide and from drug overdoses (see Sections 5.4 and 5.5). On the street, many police responses
are initiated because a person is in a mental health crisis (See Section 3, reports on the deaths of
Jeffrey McClure, George Zapantis, Judson Albahm, Jess Bonsignore, Christopher Van Kleeck, Brandi
Baida, and Allison Lakie; and see Section 6, subsection on “Police Shootings and Mental Health
Crises”). Therefore it is critical that the state, corrections agencies in the state, and police agencies
in the state, thoughtfully design, adequately fund, and effectively implement programs to reduce
the risk of death due to mental illness and drug use, as described in Section 5, Recommendations.

Pursuant to the American Bar Association’s Standards for the Prosecution Function, Standard 3-4.3 Minimum
Requirements for Filing and Maintaining Criminal Charges: “(a) A prosecutor should seek or file criminal charges only if
the prosecutor reasonably believes that the charges are supported by probable cause, that admissible evidence will be
sufficient to support conviction beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the decision to charge is in the interests of
justice.” See also, Rule 3.8 of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct. See below, Section 3, for an explanation of
the defense of justification and the prosecutor’s burden to disprove the defense of justification beyond a reasonable
doubt in cases where the defense is raised.
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2. Summary of Indictments
Members of OSI are prosecuting the four indicted cases described below. 3 Indictments are
accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until a jury determines that the
evidence proves the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
People v. Errick Allen
The indictment charges Errick Allen, who was an officer of the New York City Police Department
(“NYPD”), with Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter in the First Degree, and Menacing, for
using his service weapon to threaten and then to kill Christopher Curro on May 12, 2020, in Nassau
County.4
Allen and Curro lived in Nassau County and were longtime friends, but text messages indicated they
were in a dispute. On May 12, 2020, shortly after 8:00 pm, in a residential neighborhood in
Farmingdale, Allen, who was off-duty, allegedly killed Curro by shooting him five times at close
range, including twice in the head, with his NYPD service weapon. Curro was unarmed. Allen initially
fled the scene but returned later in the evening.
The indictment is pending in Nassau County Court, in Mineola. A trial date has not been set. The
indictment is at this link: Errick Allen Indictment. Christopher Curro was white. At the time of the
incident he was 25 years old. NYPD terminated Allen after the incident.5
People v. Christopher Baldner
The indictment charges Christopher Baldner, who was a trooper in the New York State Police
(“NYSP”), with Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter in the Second Degree, and Reckless
Endangerment in the First Degree, for using his trooper vehicle to cause the death of Monica
Goods, who was 11 years old, and to endanger other members of her family, on December 22,
2020, in Ulster County.6
The indictment also charges that, in September of 2019, Baldner similarly endangered the lives of
a driver and his passengers by using his police vehicle to ram their car.

OSI prosecuted one indictment to trial in the past 12 months, People v. Oropallo, in Chemung County Court, in the City
of Elmira, during April 2022. The trial resulted in an acquittal, and therefore information about the case is sealed,
pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law Section 160.50. The incident in the case occurred in 2019, prior to the effective
date of Section 70-b, and was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office pursuant to an Executive Order.
4 This incident arose prior to the effective date of Section 70-b, and OSI is therefore prosecuting the matter pursuant to
Executive Order 147; see Footnote 1.
5 Paragraph 7 of Section 70-b directs OSI to include in the annual report “racial, ethnic, age, gender and other
demographic information concerning the persons involved” in its investigations.
6 This incident arose prior to the effective date of Section 70-b, and OSI is therefore prosecuting the matter pursuant to
Executive Order 147, see Footnote 1, as well as Executive Order 7, pertaining to a prior act, which did not result in
death. Executive Order 7 can be seen in this link: Executive Order 7.
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On December 22, 2020, at about 11:40 pm, Tristan Goods was driving on the New York State
Thruway with his wife and two daughters, aged 11 and 12, on the way to visit family for Christmas.
Trooper Baldner was on patrol in his marked NYSP vehicle and stopped the Goods family car for
speeding. During the stop, Baldner pepper sprayed Mr. Goods and Mr. Goods sped away. During
the pursuit, when both cars were traveling over 100 miles per hour, Baldner allegedly deliberately
rammed his police vehicle into the rear of the Goods car, twice. Upon the second strike, the Goods
car flipped over and came to rest upside down in the median. The impact ejected Monica Goods
from the car, killing her.
Christopher Baldner was not equipped with body-worn camera or dashboard camera, and no other
video captured the incident.
The indictment is pending in Ulster County Court, in Kingston. A trial date has not been set. The
indictment is at this link: Christopher Baldner Indictment. Monica Goods was Black. At the time of
the incident she was 11 years old. Christopher Baldner has retired from NYSP.
People v. Yvonne Wu
The indictment charges Yvonne Wu, who was an officer in the NYPD, with Murder in the First and
Second Degrees, Attempted Murder in the First and Second Degrees, Assault in the First Degree,
and Burglary in the First Degree, for using her service weapon to shoot and kill Jamie Liang, and to
shoot and wound Jenny Li, on October 13, 2021, in Kings County.
On October 13, 2021, Yvonne Wu, while off-duty, went to the Brooklyn home of Jenny Li, whom she
knew, and allegedly forced Jenny Li to let her inside, where Wu used her service weapon to shoot
and kill Jamie Liang, a friend of Li’s, and to shoot and wound Li.
The indictment is pending in Kings County Supreme Court, in Brooklyn. A trial date has not been
set. The indictment is at this link: Yvonne Wu Indictment. Jamie Liang was Asian. At the time of the
incident she was 24 years old. NYPD terminated Wu after the incident.
People v. Dion Middleton
The indictment charges Dion Middleton, an officer in NYC DOC, with Murder in the Second Degree,
and Manslaughter in the First and Second Degrees, for using his service weapon to shoot and kill
Raymond Chaluisant in the Bronx on July 21, 2022.
On July 21, 2022, shortly after 1:00 am, when he was off duty and on foot near the Cross Bronx
Expressway and Morris Avenue in the Bronx, Middleton allegedly shot and killed Raymond
Chaluisant, who was a passenger in a car. Middleton left the scene without reporting the incident
and went to work later that morning at the firing range where he worked as a firearms instructor for
NYC DOC. He was at the range when he was apprehended by NYPD in the afternoon of the same
day.
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The indictment is pending in Bronx County Supreme Court. A trial date has not been set. The
indictment is at this link: Dion Middleton Indictment. Raymond Chaluisant was Hispanic; at the time
of the incident he was 18 years old. NYC DOC suspended Middleton, pending a disciplinary process.

3. Reports Released by OSI in the Past 12 Months
When OSI determines not to seek charges in an incident in which a police officer or peace officer
caused the death of a person, Section 70-b, Paragraph 6, requires OSI to publish a report detailing
the investigation and explaining why OSI declined to present evidence to a grand jury. That
Paragraph also authorizes OSI to include in the published report recommendations for systemic or
other reforms arising from the investigation.
When OSI concludes an investigation, and prior to issuing a report, the OSI attorney and detective
assigned to the investigation, as well as a family liaison and, often, the community liaison meet with
family members of the person who died (and their counsel, if they wish) to explain the steps OSI
took in the investigation and OSI’s investigative findings and legal analysis. Members of OSI also
meet with family members earlier in the course of an investigation to explain the investigative
process and to show video of the incident to family members, in cases where such video exists.
OSI’s Investigations
OSI’s investigations, each of which takes a number of months to complete, include, depending on
the case:
- interviews of
o police officers and corrections officers;
o civilian bystander witnesses and jail and prison inmate witnesses;
o the medical examiner who performed the autopsy;
o the emergency medical responders, treating physicians, and responding jail and
prison medical staff;
- and reviews of
o officers’ body-worn camera (“BWC”) videos and dashboard camera (“dashcam”)
videos;
o police and corrections departments’ surveillance camera videos and data from
gunshot detection technologies;
o civilian videos from fixed security cameras and cell phones;
o recorded 911 calls, dispatch transmissions, and officer-to-officer communications;
o police departments’ crime scene and other photographs, ballistics reports, and
accident reconstruction reports;
o police and corrections departments’ incident reports and investigative reports;
o medical records, including physical and mental health records;
o autopsy reports and photographs, and toxicology reports.
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New York’s Law of Justification
Many of the cases OSI decides not to present to a grand jury turn on New York’s law of justification,
which is set forth in Article 35 of the Penal Law. As applied to OSI’s cases, the basic idea underlying
the law of justification is the right to defend oneself or another from wrongful physical force.
There are two provisions in Article 35 most often relevant to OSI’s investigations. One is the general
provision justifying all persons’ (civilians’ or officers’) use of deadly physical force to defend
themselves or others from another person’s wrongful use of deadly physical force (Penal Law
Section 35.15, Subdivision 2). The other is a provision specifically justifying police officers’ or peace
officers’ use of deadly physical force to defend themselves or others from another person’s
wrongful use of deadly physical force when the officer is making an arrest or preventing an escape
from custody for a criminal offense (Penal Law Section 35.30, Subdivisions 1 and 2; and Section
35.15 Subdivision 2(a)(ii)).7
An important difference between the general provision and the officer-specific provision concerns
the duty to retreat. Civilians may not use deadly physical force in defense of self or another if they
know they can retreat with complete safety to themselves and others, Penal Law Section
35.15(2)(a). However, officers who are justified in using deadly physical force under Penal Law
Section 35.30 because they are making an arrest or preventing an escape for an offense are under
no duty to retreat, even if they could do so with complete safety to themselves and others, Penal
Law Section 35.15(2)(a)(ii).
Under the Penal Law, justification is legally a “defense,” Penal Law Section 35.00, not an
“affirmative defense.” This means that, if a case goes to trial, the burden is on the prosecutor to
disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt, Penal Law Section 25.00(1). The burden of proof
is often a critical factor in OSI’s decision whether or not to seek criminal charges in a case.

The general provision, Section 35.15, reads in part as follows: “1. A person may … use physical force upon another
person when and to the extent he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary to defend himself, herself or a third
person from what he or she reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by such other
person…. 2. A person may not use deadly physical force upon another person under circumstances specified in
subdivision one unless: (a) The actor reasonably believes that such other person is using or about to use deadly
physical force. Even in such case, however, the actor may not use deadly physical force if he or she knows that with
complete personal safety, to oneself and others he or she may avoid the necessity of so doing by retreating….”
The provision specific to police officers and peace officers, Section 35.30, reads in part as follows: “1. A police officer
or a peace officer, in the course of effecting or attempting to effect an arrest, or of preventing or attempting to prevent
the escape from custody, of a person whom he or she reasonably believes to have committed an offense, may use
physical force when and to the extent he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary to effect the arrest, or to
prevent the escape from custody, or in self-defense or to defend a third person from what he or she reasonably
believes to be the use or imminent use of physical force; except that deadly physical force may be used for such
purposes only when he or she reasonably believes that: … (c) … the use of deadly physical force is necessary to defend
the police officer or peace officer or another person from what the officer reasonably believes to be the use or
imminent use of deadly physical force.”
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Reports OSI Published in the Last 12 Months
The reports OSI has published in the past 12 months are summarized below.
Jeffrey McClure, June 7, 2020, Suffolk County.8
On the evening of June 7, 2020, members of the Suffolk County Police Department (“SCPD”) went
to the McClure house in East Northport after Jeffrey McClure’s father called 911 to report that his
son was “going berserk,” under the influence of alcohol and drugs, experiencing a mental health
crisis, and wielding a BB gun. When members of SCPD arrived, they found Jeffrey McClure in the
living room of the house, holding what appeared to be a rifle. He pointed it at the officers and
threatened to shoot them. The officers told Mr. McClure to put the weapon down, but he ran to the
basement, where family members told officers a safe held other firearms. For several minutes
officers pursued Mr. McClure through the house and back yard. Two officers were looking for Mr.
McClure in the back yard when he appeared on the roof of the house, pointed the rifle at the
officers, and threatened to kill them. One of the officers fired and struck Mr. McClure, who died of
his wounds. When officers recovered the rifle from the roof, it was found to be an air rifle, not a
firearm.
None of the officers who responded to the McClure house were equipped with BWCs.
OSI concluded a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. The evidence was that the shooting officer reasonably believed his
life and the life of the other officer in the back yard to be in danger.
OSI recommended that SCPD better prepare for such situations in the future, including training
more officers to handle mental health crises and improving tactics and training for emergencies
when multiple officers respond. OSI recommended that the County enhance its Behavioral Health
Section and 911 Mental Health Call Diversion Program. And OSI urged SCPD to expedite its rollout
of BWCs to all officers, detectives, and supervisors.
Jeffrey McClure was white. At the time of the incident he was 26 years old. The McClure report can
be read here: Jeffrey McClure
George Zapantis, June 21, 2020, Queens County.9
On the evening of June 21, 2020, members of NYPD went to a multi-family house in Whitestone,
Queens, after a bystander called 911, saying people were fighting and one of them had a gun.
When officers arrived neighbors told them about an argument involving Mr. Zapantis, said no gun
was involved, but did say Mr. Zapantis had a sword. Officers went to the door of Mr. Zapantis’s
ground-floor apartment in the multifamily house to try to speak to him. They saw through a window
8
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This case was investigated pursuant to Executive Order 147. See Footnote 1.
This case was investigated pursuant to Executive Order 147. See Footnote 1.

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that Mr. Zapantis was dressed in gladiator attire, including a helmet, shield, and sword, and called
for the Emergency Services Unit, which includes trained negotiators, to respond. Although officers
had a conversation with Mr. Zapantis through the closed door for some minutes in an effort at deescalation, he suddenly broke through the door and began to fight with the officers, who in turn
attempted to restrain him with handcuffs and subdue him with Tasers. During the struggle, Mr.
Zapantis went limp and became unresponsive. Despite life-saving measures attempted at the
scene, Mr. Zapantis was pronounced dead less than an hour later. The Medical Examiner
determined the cause of Mr. Zapantis’s death to be cardiac arrest due to dilated cardiomyopathy
during physical restraint by police, including conducted electrical weapon (i.e., Taser) use.
The officers involved in the physical struggle with Mr. Zapantis wore BWCs, which captured the
incident.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ conduct was justified: the evidence was that the officers used reasonable physical force,
and not deadly physical force, in response to physical force used by Mr. Zapantis.
George Zapantis was white. At the time of the incident he was 29 years old. The Zapantis report can
be read here: George Zapantis.
Judson Albahm, March 4, 2021, Onondaga County.10
On the afternoon of March 4, 2021, officers from NYSP, the DeWitt Police Department, and the
Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from Judson Albahm’s mother, seeking
help in finding her son, who had driven away from her house after a mental health crisis team
arrived for a previously scheduled evaluation. Officers found Judson on foot in the woods near the
house and followed him for about 30 minutes, talking to him and frequently directing him to drop
what appeared to be a black pistol in his hand. Some, but not all, of the responding officers were
aware that Judson suffered from mental health issues and owned air guns, but a dispatcher had
told other officers that 911 callers said Judson was carrying a handgun.
When Judson stopped his flight and pointed his gun at two officers who had not been told about
Judson’s air guns, they and other officers fired at Judson, who died of his wounds. Later, when
Judson’s gun was recovered, it was found to be an air gun, without any of the legally required
markings to indicate it was not a firearm.
Although some of the officers involved in the pursuit had BWCs, none of the shooting officers had a
BWC, and the shooting was audibly, but not visually, captured on BWCs.

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This case was investigated pursuant to Executive Order 147. See Footnote 1.

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OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. Judson pointed what appeared to be a black handgun at pursuing
officers, who fired at him after issuing warnings to drop the gun.
OSI recommended that the agencies involved better prepare to handle such situations, including by
equipping all officers with body-worn cameras, and by establishing clear protocols when multiple
agencies respond to an incident, so that they effectively share information and coordinate their
response. OSI also recommended that New York clarify and strengthen its laws on imitation
firearms, so that no imitation gun could be mistaken for a firearm.11
Judson Albahm was white and Middle Eastern. At the time of the incident he was 17 years old. The
Albahm report can be read here: Judson Albahm.
Tyler Green, April 6, 2021, Otsego County.
Tyler Green and his partner were the parents of a boy just under two years old. On April 6, 2021,
the partner, her sister, and the child were visiting Mr. Green at his house in the City of Oneonta.
Because of violent threats being made by Mr. Green, the sister slipped away, drove to the Oneonta
Police Department (“OPD”), and reported the threats to them. Two OPD officers, who received a
dispatch that Mr. Green had threatened to stab his partner with a knife, went to the house. Upon
arriving, the officers saw Mr. Green, his partner, and the child in the front yard. Mr. Green lunged at
his partner with a knife and threatened to kill her. The officers drew their guns and shouted at Mr.
Green to drop the knife. Mr. Green swung at his partner’s leg with the knife, cutting her, swung the
knife at the officers, grabbed his son by the leg, and began to swing the knife at his son. One of the
officers fired at Mr. Green, who released the child. Mr. Green later died of his wounds.
The officers’ BWCs captured the incident.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
firing officer was justified in his use of deadly force, as Mr. Green was inches away from using a
knife against the child, and only the officer’s use of deadly physical force prevented him from doing
so.
OSI recommended that New York change its law to align with every other state to permit air
ambulances to provide blood to critically injured patients.12 Although such authority would not have

After the issuance of the Albahm report, the Legislature passed a law requiring all imitation guns to be made entirely
of brightly colored or transparent material: NY State Senate Bill S687 (nysenate.gov). Also see tweet and letter from the
Attorney General pushing for stronger standards on imitation firearms. Separately, after Judson’s death, the Onondaga
County legislature provided funding for the Sheriff’s Office to equip its officers with BWCs; the Sheriff’s Office
implemented the BWC program months later: After years without body cameras, Onondaga County deputies now get
the equipment - syracuse.com.
11

The Green report was issued on December 3, 2021. On December 22, 2021, the governor signed a law permitting
air ambulances to carry, distribute, and transfuse blood. See Public Health Law Section 3003-B.
12

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saved Mr. Green’s life, due to the gravity of his injuries, the inability of the air ambulance personnel
to give him blood during a medevac flight brought this flawed law to OSI’s attention.
Tyler Green was white. At the time of the incident he was 23 years old. The Green report can be
read here: Tyler Green.
Mark Gaskill, May 14, 2021, Monroe County.
In the early morning hours of May 14, 2021, members of the Rochester Police Department (“RPD”)
received alerts of gunshot activity from ShotSpotter, an automated gunshot detection technology,
and could see, on RPD’s street surveillance video, that a possibly involved car was driving away
from the site of the shooting. When the car pulled over a few minutes later and a few blocks away
from the site of the shooting, RPD officers approached and spoke to the driver and passengers.
When they asked Mr. Gaskill, the rear-seat passenger, for identification, he gave a false name and
date of birth. When officers tried to open the car door nearest to Mr. Gaskill, they saw him draw a
gun from his waistband. The officers backed away quickly and shouted at Mr. Gaskill to drop the
gun. Mr. Gaskill opened the door and began to get out of the car. The officers shouted at him to
show his hands, and then fired. Mr. Gaskill died of his wounds.
Later, police recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol from the car, near Mr. Gaskill’s seat, which
ballistics testing showed was the same gun used to fire the shots detected by ShotSpotter.
The officers’ BWCs captured the incident.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. Mr. Gaskill pulled out a gun and seemed about to advance on the
officers, who were aware that the car Mr. Gaskill was in had minutes before been involved in a
shooting.
Mark Gaskill was white. At the time of the incident he was 28 years old. The Gaskill report can be
read here: Mark Gaskill.
Jesse Bonsignore, May 20, 2021.
On the evening of May 20, 2021, in Manorville, Suffolk County, a neighborhood resident called 911
and said there was a man sleeping in the back seat of a car parked across the road from the
resident’s house. An SCPD officer responded and saw the man, Jesse Bonsignore, sleeping in the
back seat of the parked car as reported, and knocked on the window. Mr. Bonsignore awoke, began
screaming, and threatened to kill the officer. The officer told Mr. Bonsignore to remain in the car
and called for backup over the radio, but Mr. Bonsignore got out of the car. The officer tried to tell
Mr. Bonsignore he was not in trouble, but Mr. Bonsignore again said he was going to kill the officer.

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The officer noticed a folding knife on Mr. Bonsignore’s belt, which was later recovered. The officer
tried to handcuff Mr. Bonsignore to prevent him from using the knife, but Mr. Bonsignore resisted
and pushed backward against the officer, and both fell to the ground. In the ensuing struggle, Mr.
Bonsignore tried to grab his knife and then reached for the officer’s gun. The officer tried to hold
Mr. Bonsignore’s arms and pulled his gun from its holster to prevent Mr. Bonsignore from taking
control of the gun. Mr. Bonsignore grabbed the officer’s gun hand, and the officer, fearing for his
life, shot Mr. Bonsignore. OSI interviewed the resident and obtained security camera footage from
his home; the statements and the video were consistent with the officer’s account.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officer’s actions were justified. Mr. Bonsignore reached for his knife, tried to take the officer’s gun,
and threatened to kill the officer.
The officer was not equipped with BWC, and his patrol car did not have a dashboard camera.
OSI reiterated its recommendation that SCPD accelerate its implementation of BWC (see above,
regarding the recommendation in the McClure report).
Jesse Bonsignore was white. At the time of the incident he was 44 years old. The Bonsignore report
can be read here: Jesse Bonsignore.
Timothy Flowers, June 4, 2021, Monroe County.
Fingerprints, eyewitnesses, and other evidence established probable cause that Mr. Flowers was
the gunman who had shot and injured Rochester residents in incidents on May 3, 6, and 10, 2021.
RPD prepared a “wanted package” for Mr. Flowers’s arrest on charges of Attempted Murder in the
Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second
Degree. SWAT Team officers searched for and found Mr. Flowers on June 4, 2021, on foot in a
parking lot in Rochester. When Mr. Flowers saw officers approaching him, he ran. Two officers
followed him on foot to a residential neighborhood, where Mr. Flowers hid behind a house and fired
at one of the officers, who fired back. Hearing gunfire, the second officer approached Mr. Flowers
from the other side of the house. Mr. Flowers turned toward the second officer, ignored his shouts
to drop the gun, and pointed his gun at him. The second officer fired at Mr. Flowers. Mr. Flowers
died from his injuries.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. Mr. Flowers had fired at one officer and was pointing his gun at the
second officer, and both officers knew that Mr. Flowers was suspected of shooting and wounding
other persons in three recent incidents.
At the time of this incident, and in an exception to its general policy, RPD did not equip SWAT team
officers with BWCs. So the two shooting officers did not have BWCs, and the incident was not
visually captured by any other officers’ BWC.
12

OSI recommended that RPD extend its BWC policy to all officers, including SWAT teams.13
Timothy Flowers was Black. At the time of the incident, he was 29 years old. The Flowers report can
be read here: Timothy Flowers.
Christopher Van Kleeck, June 12, 2021, Orange County.
Mr. Van Kleeck lived with his parents in Orange County. He had a significant history of mental
illness, had been in physical confrontations with police officers, and had more than once
threatened violence. On June 12, 2021, when Mr. Van Kleeck was home with his parents, and after
an escalating series of incidents that day, his mother called a local mental health service, whose
members were familiar with Mr. Van Kleeck, to ask them to send help. Mr. Van Kleeck took the
phone from his mother and threatened to “take out” any police officers who came to the house. The
mental health service alerted the police, who sent officers to the house. The first officer to arrive,
who was a member of the Town of Wallkill Police Department, was rolling to a stop alongside the
lawn by the house, when, as civilian security video shows, Mr. Van Kleeck was running after his
father across the lawn with raised knives in both hands. Within seconds of the officer’s arrival, as
shown in the officer’s dash cam, Mr. Van Kleeck ran across the front of the officer’s stopped car
still holding the knives, and the officer shot through the windshield, killing Mr. Van Kleeck.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial
that the officer was justified in using deadly physical force against Mr. Van Kleeck. Seconds before
the shooting Mr. Van Kleeck appeared to be about to stab his father and, at the moment the shots
were fired, still held the two knives and was running at the stopped police car, occupied by the
officer.
Christopher Van Kleeck was white. At the time of the incident he was 31 years old. The Van Kleeck
report can be read here: Christopher Van Kleeck.
Steven Leconte, July 8, 2021, Kings County.
On the evening of July 8, 2021, Steven Leconte, on foot, approached a group of men gathered
outside a store in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and fired a gun, wounding three of them. A fourth person
near the store fired a gun at Mr. Leconte, wounding him in the leg. NYPD officers patrolling nearby
heard the shooting and arrived at the store within minutes; bystanders pointed them to where the
shooter had fled. The officers found Mr. Leconte nearby, crouched beside a parked car, with a gun
in his hand. The officers shouted at him to drop the gun, but he pointed the gun at the officers, and
the officers fired. Mr. Leconte died of his wounds.
The officers’ BWCs captured the incident.

RPD has informed OSI it is in the process of obtaining new BWCs for the department, and that the number of devices
should be sufficient to equip SWAT Team members as well as other officers with BWCs.
13

13

OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. They knew Mr. Leconte had just shot three men and saw that he still
held a gun. Despite their orders to drop it, he pointed it at the officers.
Steven Leconte was Black. At the time of the incident he was 53 years old. The Leconte report can
be read here: Steven Leconte.
David Wandell, August 27, Chemung County.
On August 21, 2021, David Wandell was the subject of an alert sent to members of all law
enforcement agencies in Chemung County, which advised officers he was wanted for a parole
violation and to use caution if they encountered him, because of his documented history of
violence. On August 27, 2021, an NYSP investigator saw Mr. Wandell walking in the Eldridge Park
area of the City of Elmira and radioed for assistance. An Elmira Police Department (“EPD”) officer
who heard the radio call passed Mr. Wandell in her cruiser and got out, intending to take him into
custody. Mr. Wandell pointed what appeared to be a gun at her. The EPD officer fired shots at Mr.
Wandell and then stumbled backward as Mr. Wandell fled the area. Though it does not appear that
the EPD officer’s bullets hit Mr. Wandell, other responding officers saw Mr. Wandell point a gun at
the officer, heard gunfire, and saw the officer fall. Presuming the EPD officer had been shot,
another nearby officer reported over the radio that Mr. Wandell had shot an officer. A dispatcher
transmitted a call to all county units for assistance because of “shots fired at officers.”
Officers from a number of agencies followed Mr. Wandell and confronted him in Woodlawn
Cemetery, shouting at him to drop his weapon and show his hands. Mr. Wandell, taking cover
behind a tree, raised the gun toward the officers, and five officers – an NYSP trooper, an EPD
investigator, a sergeant and a deputy from the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, and a parole
officer with New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision – fired at Mr.
Wandell. Mr. Wandell died of his wounds.
Officers recovered an airsoft pistol on the ground next to Mr. Wandell’s body. The orange paint on
the tip, which is required by law to distinguish it from a normal firearm, had been removed.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. Officers saw Mr. Wandell raise what appeared to be a gun at them,
had heard over the radio that he had fired at an officer near Eldridge Park minutes earlier, and had
been warned in the alert that he had a history of violence.
Although the initial encounter between Mr. Wandell and the EPD officer near Eldridge Park was
partially captured on that officer’s BWC, not all the officers from the agencies who pursued and
then shot at Mr. Wandell were equipped with BWCs, and the shooting that caused Mr. Wandell’s
death was audibly, but not visually, captured on BWC.

14

Mr. Wandell was white. At the time of the incident he was 53 years old. The Wandell report can be
read here: David Wandell.
Dedrick James, September 15, 2021, Monroe County.
In December 2020, in the Wayne County Town of Marion, an NYSP investigator began an
investigation to determine how Dedrick James’s two-year-old son had come to be seriously injured.
In July 2021, after a months-long investigation, including interviews of Mr. James and the mother of
the child and review of medical and other evidence, the NYSP investigator filed a criminal court
complaint charging Mr. James with Assault in the Second Degree for the injuries sustained by the
child. The investigator obtained an arrest warrant from the Marion Town Justice based on the
complaint.
Over the next few weeks, the NYSP investigator in Wayne County called Mr. James and visited a
Rochester address Mr. James had provided but did not receive a response. The investigator
referred the warrant to the United States Marshals Service (“USMS”) Fugitive Task Force in
Rochester to find and arrest Mr. James.
On September 15, 2021, based on observations indicating that Mr. James was then at the
Rochester address he had provided, USMS Task Force officers from agencies including USMS,
NYSP, and RPD went to the house to arrest Mr. James. Three officers went to the front door and
knocked, and Mr. James’s grandmother opened the door. Mr. James came out of a bedroom and
approached the officers, but then ran into a bathroom when told he was under arrest. Officers
followed him into the bathroom, where one officer attempted to restrain Mr. James from behind in a
bear hug. That officer and Mr. James fell into the bathtub. Mr. James had a gun in his hand, which
he pointed at the officer’s head. A brief struggle over the gun ensued, and the gun went off, fatally
striking Mr. James in the chest.
Mr. James’s Smith & Wesson .380 pistol and an expended shell casing were recovered, along with
boxes of ammunition in Mr. James’s bedroom that matched the ammunition in the gun and the
expended shell casing. Ballistics testing and an autopsy showed that Mr. James was killed by a
single bullet discharged from the recovered firearm.
No officer fired a gun.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. No officer used deadly physical force, and the bear hug one officer
used to restrain Mr. James was a reasonable use of physical force to effect his arrest.
No officer involved in the arrest was equipped with a BWC. At the time of the incident, the United
States Department of Justice (DOJ) had recently changed its policy to permit USMS Task Force

15

members to wear BWCs, but full implementation had not yet occurred. OSI recommended that DOJ
and USMS fully implement use of BWCs by Task Force Officers without further delay.14
Dedrick James was Black. At the time of the incident he was 25 years old. The James report can be
read here: Dedrick James.
Brandi Baida, September 21, 2021, Cayuga County.
On the morning of September 21, 2021, callers told 911 there was an active shooter in a
residential neighborhood in the City of Auburn. A neighbor told an arriving Auburn Police
Department (“APD”) officer that gunshots were coming from a house at 12 Wheeler Street. Officers
saw and heard shots fired from a rifle aimed out of a second-floor window at that address,
endangering the lives of the responding officers, nearby residents, and pedestrians. After the
shooter ignored commands to stop shooting and drop the weapon, an officer fired, striking the
shooter and causing her death. The shooter was later identified as Brandi Baida. Officers recovered
the rifle Ms. Baida used and rounds of additional ammunition.
OSI concluded a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. Ms. Baida was shooting a deadly weapon from a second-floor
window onto a residential street, endangering the lives of police officers and civilians, and ignored
commands to stop.
At the time of this incident, APD did not equip its officers with BWCs. Although APD has taken steps
to obtain BWCs for its officers, OSI recommended the department accelerate its efforts.
Brandi Baida was white. At the time of the incident she was 30 years old. The Baida report can be
read here: Brandi Baida.
Simran Gordon, October 6, 2021, Monroe County.
Simran Gordon walked into a Dollar Store in Rochester after 9:00 in the evening of October 6,
2021, went behind the checkout counter, showed a gun to the clerks, and told them to give him the
money in the cash registers and the safe. One store employee went to a back room and called 911
to report that a man was robbing the store and holding the clerks at gunpoint. The RPD dispatcher
put out the call as a gunpoint robbery.
Two RPD officers arrived at the store a few minutes later, while Mr. Gordon was still behind the
counter with the clerks, waiting for the safe to open, which was on a five-minute delay. Mr. Gordon
had his hands in the pocket of his sweatshirt. When one of the officers asked Mr. Gordon to show
his hands, he refused and, after a slight hesitation, bolted toward the rear of the store. One officer

14

OSI recently asked USMS about the status of its BWC implementation but has not yet received a response.

16

chased Mr. Gordon down the aisle and the other officer chased along a parallel aisle. Mr. Gordon
fired one shot at the first officer, missing him, and that officer then fired at Mr. Gordon, killing him.
Mr. Gordon’s gun and physical evidence that he had fired it were recovered at the scene. Store
security video and the officers’ body worn cameras captured the incident.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. Mr. Gordon was committing a gunpoint robbery in a store in which
employees and customers were present, and, when officers arrived and began to ask questions,
Mr. Gordon, attempting to flee, fired his gun at one of the officers.
After the incident, RPD issued statements alleging that Mr. Gordon was “tied to” and “connected
to” prior murders of three persons. Though the public has an interest in having information about
persons who die in encounters with police, statements alleging a person committed prior crimes
will not only be painful to the person’s surviving family members – causing them to feel that their
relative’s character has been assailed in an effort to justify police conduct – but could even
prejudice the investigation of the person’s death, by creating the erroneous impression that the
alleged prior crimes are relevant to OSI’s analysis. Therefore, OSI recommended that any statement
by a police department about a decedent’s alleged prior crimes: should be well founded; should be
framed as a mere allegation, unless it is about an actual criminal conviction; and should be
prominently accompanied by a caution that the alleged prior crime is not relevant to the legality of
the conduct of the officers in the incident.15
Mr. Gordon was Black. At the time of the incident he was 24 years old. The Gordon report can be
read here: Simran Gordon.
Allison Lakie, October 20, 2021, Onondaga County.
In the evening of October 20, 2021, members of the Syracuse Police Department (“SPD”)
responded to a house in the City of Syracuse to assist emergency medical personnel who were
already present. When officers arrived, Allison Lakie was in the kitchen of the house, holding a knife
and refusing to come out. Responding officers spoke to Ms. Lakie for about two hours from the
front doorway, trying to persuade her to put down her knife and to come out of the house. Some of
the officers speaking to Ms. Lakie had been trained in methods of dealing with people in mental
health crises. Despite the attempts at de-escalation, Ms. Lakie set a fire in the kitchen, which
began to grow, and several officers entered the house with a firefighter. As Ms. Lakie continued to
hold a knife, the entering officers tried to subdue Ms. Lakie with Tasers (which were ineffective) as
the firefighter put the fire out. Through the smoke and steam of the extinguished blaze, which

RPD has not commented publicly on OSI’s recommendation in the Gordon case. A news report indicates RPD recently
named Simran Gordon as the shooter in a homicide and closed the case: RPD: Simran Gordon killed man on Weld
Street in June 2021 - WHEC.com.
15

17

obscured what was happening, Ms. Lakie came out of the kitchen and at the officers with a knife in
each hand. Four officers fired their guns at her, causing her death.
The officers’ BWCs captured the incident.
OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
officers’ actions were justified. The officers attempted for two hours to resolve the incident without
a physical confrontation, and only entered the house when a fire threatened to grow out of control,
endangering the life of Ms. Lakie, and only fired when Ms. Lakie came at them with knives in both
hands.
Allison Lakie was white. At the time of the incident she was 35 years old. The Lakie report can be
read here: Allison Lakie.
Wesley Soper, December 17, 2021, Monroe County.
At 2:30 a.m., on December 17, 2021, a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy was on patrol on the
Pittsford-Palmyra Road. As he entered the intersection with Moseley Road, the deputy, whose
attention was diverted by a truck parked near an ATM, felt his car strike something. The deputy
stopped, got out, and saw that he had hit a pedestrian, later identified as Wesley Soper, whose
injuries were fatal.
In an interview with OSI, the deputy said he had the green light going into the intersection. There
was no dash cam in his car, and his BWC was not activated prior to the impact. Security footage
from a nearby Walgreen’s was obtained. The deputy registered zero on an alcohol test at the scene,
and a review of his cell phone indicated he was not texting or on a call at the time of the impact.
Accident reconstruction indicated the deputy had the green light, that Mr. Soper was crossing
Pittsford-Palmyra Road against the light, and that the deputy’s speed at the time of impact was
between 49.3 and 57.4 mph, in a zone posted at 45 mph.
OSI concluded that the evidence would not have been sufficient to prove a charge of criminally
negligent homicide beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The deputy had the green light, was not
impaired, and was not improperly distracted. Although he was going at least five, and possibly as
much as 12.4 mph over the speed limit, New York courts do not consider speeding within that
range to be serious enough to constitute criminal negligence.16
Penal Law Section 15.05, Subdivision 4 defines criminal negligence as follows, edited to apply to the crime of
criminally negligent homicide: “A person acts with criminal negligence … when he fails to perceive a substantial and
unjustifiable risk that [death] will occur…. The risk [of death] must be of such nature and degree that the failure to
perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the
situation.” New York’s highest court has held that to prove a person guilty of criminally negligent homicide in a vehicular
case, the prosecutor must show “serious blameworthiness in the conduct that caused” the death, People v. Boutin, 75
N.Y.2d 692, 696 (1990), and, in a speeding case, “additional risk-creating behavior in addition to driving faster than
the posted speed limit that transformed [the] speeding into dangerous speeding,” People v. Cabrera, 10 N.Y.3d 370,
16

18

OSI recommended that Monroe County Sheriff’s cars be outfitted with dash cam.
Wesley Soper was white. At the time of his death he was 32 years old. The Soper report can be read
here: Wesley Soper.
Janet Jordan, March 14, 2022, Monroe County.
At 2:08 am on March 14, 2022, security video and other evidence show that an off-duty RPD
sergeant entered Janet Jordan’s home by the front door and left an hour later. When Ms. Jordan’s
husband came home in the morning, from his night shift as a deputy sheriff at the Monroe County
Jail, he found her dead of a gunshot wound and called 911. A subsequent search for the sergeant
found him dead in his car of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. On autopsy, a key to Ms. Jordan’s front
door was found in the sergeant’s trouser pocket.
Although the murder weapon was never found, .22 caliber shell casings with a distinctive crosshair
logo, and with the sergeant’s DNA, were found in Ms. Jordan’s house, and .22 caliber shell casings
with the same logo were found in the sergeant’s car. Jail video and electronic records establish that
Ms. Jordan’s husband was physically at the jail from the beginning to the end of his shift (10:53 pm
to 6:56 am).
OSI concluded there is no reason to believe anyone other than the sergeant was responsible for
Ms. Jordan’s death.
Janet Jordan was Black. At the time of her death she was 35 years old. The Jordan report can be
read here: Janet Jordan.

4. New York City Department of Correction
NYC DOC operates detention facilities on Rikers Island and in a nearby barge. Persons in the
custody of NYC DOC are detainees awaiting trial, detainees awaiting sentencing, prisoners
sentenced to one year or less of jail time, and prisoners sentenced to more than a year of prison
time and awaiting transfer to a state prison. NYC DOC also has custody of persons in transit to or
from an NYC DOC facility, persons at courthouses awaiting court appearances, and persons being
treated in hospitals. According to the August 2022 Fact Sheet published by the New York Division of
Criminal Justice Services (“DCJS”), the NYC DOC population was just under 5600.17
All jails and prisons in New York are required to report deaths and other significant incidents to the
New York State Commission of Correction (“SCOC”) for review. SCOC is an independent oversight
body, which sees that jails and prisons throughout the state uphold minimum standards under the

377 (2008) [inner quotation marks omitted].
17 See the DCJS Jail Population by Month Report. A detailed description of NYC DOC’s facilities can be found at NYC
DOC Facilities Overview.

19

state’s constitution, statutes, and regulations. SCOC issues an annual report,18 describing its
activities and findings, and issues reports on deaths in NYC DOC facilities.19
The New York City Board of Correction (“NYC BOC”) is an independent oversight body for the jails in
New York City, which sees that they comply with minimum standards in conditions of confinement
and health and mental health care. NYC BOC conducts investigations and issues reports on deaths
in NYC DOC custody, jail conditions, housing density, and access to health and mental health
care.20
Conditions at Rikers Island have been the subject of innumerable news stories.21 In June, 2015,
United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain appointed a monitor to oversee reforms to NYC
DOC facilities, including reducing unnecessary uses of force, increasing video monitoring, and
addressing staffing concerns.22 Since that time the monitor has issued 12 reports on conditions at
Rikers Island, with dozens of recommendations for improvement.23 The United States Department
of Justice has intervened in the litigation.24 Judge Swain recently held hearings on whether to
remove NYC DOC from managerial control of the jails and to give that control to a receiver.25
The Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform, chaired
by Jonathan Lippman, the former Chief Judge of the State of New York, published reports about
inhumane conditions at Rikers Island, including violence, environmental hazards, and preventable
mortality.26 In its July 2021 report, the Commission proposed a plan to close the jails on Rikers
Island and to transition NYC DOC to a borough-based system of jails.27
In this section OSI summarizes investigations it has completed to date into the deaths of persons in
NYC DOC custody, occurring since April 1, 2021, the effective date of Section 70-b. If not described
in this section, OSI’s investigations into the deaths of persons in the custody of NYC DOC remain
active. Table C in the Appendix has data on all NYC DOC notifications OSI received from April 1,
2021 through August 31, 2022. In Section 5 below, OSI makes recommendations concerning
suicide prevention and drug overdose prevention in the state’s jails and prisons. The investigation
summaries are below:

See SCOC Annual Reports.
See SCOC Incarcerated Individual Mortality Reports.
20 See NYC Board of Correction Reports.
21 See, e.g., news articles from: New York Times (February 22, 2015); Daily News (April 6, 2017); New York Times
(January 1, 2022); New York Times (January 13, 2022); New York Times (February 2, 2022); New York Times (May 18,
2022).
22 See the Consent Judgment for the Nunez Monitorship and Politico (June 20, 2015) for more details
23 Monitor’s reports can be found here: Nunez Monitor Reports
24 See United States Department of Justice August 6, 2020 press release and Rikers Island Remedial Order addressing
NYC DOC non-compliance.
25 See NBC New York (April 20, 2022); NYC Public Advocate Press Release (2022); AMNY (May 16, 2022); Politics NY
(May 24, 2022); and Gothamist (June 28, 2022).
26 See Commission Reports.
27 See Closing Rikers Island – A Roadmap for Reducing Jail in New York City.
18
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Thomas Braunson, April 19, 2021.
Thomas Braunson was arrested for a parole violation on April 16, 2021 and housed at the Eric M.
Taylor Center (“EMTC”) on Rikers Island. Prior to his transport to Rikers Island, a corrections officer
assessed Mr. Braunson for suicide risk, mental health risk, and substance use history at the
Queens Detention Complex. Mr. Braunson denied drug use at that time.
On the morning of April 19, 2021, according to handwritten logs and inmate interviews, a fight
broke out between two incarcerated persons in the area of EMTC where Mr. Braunson was housed.
Later that morning, a corrections officer conducting rounds saw Mr. Braunson lying unresponsive in
his bed. The officer called a medical emergency, and staff attempted life-saving measures. Mr.
Braunson was pronounced dead 15 minutes later by an urgent care doctor. Heroin and heroin
residue were later found on Mr. Braunson and in his cell.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be acute intoxication from combined
effects of fentanyl, heroin, and phencyclidine; the medical examiner’s report also noted evidence of
chronic substance use. Two incarcerated persons housed near Mr. Braunson said in interviews that
they observed him swallow a quantity of apparent heroin before his death. One said Mr. Braunson
“got scared and swallowed everything” when officers entered the housing area following the fight
earlier that morning.
Based on the investigation, OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Braunson’s death.
Mr. Braunson was Black. At the time of his death he was 35 years old.
Richard Blake, April 30, 2021.
Richard Blake was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance on February 11,
2021 and housed in the Otis Bantum Correctional Center (“OBCC”) on Rikers Island.
On April 27, 2021, Mr. Blake had a seizure, was treated in a medical unit, and was returned to his
housing. On April 30, 2021, at 10:47 pm, several persons housed near Mr. Blake summoned a
corrections officer because Mr. Blake appeared to be having a medical emergency. The responding
officer called for assistance from the medical unit but did not directly try to assist Mr. Blake until
the arrival of a second officer seven minutes later. When the second officer arrived at 10:54 pm Mr.
Blake was no longer breathing. The second officer and an incarcerated person moved Mr. Blake to
the floor, where the officer performed chest compressions until the medical unit arrived at 10:56
pm. (Mr. Blake’s housing unit lacked an automated external defibrillator.) Mr. Blake never regained
consciousness.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be hypertensive and atherosclerotic
cardiovascular disease. In an interview with OSI the medical examiner said Mr. Blake had
21

significant cardiovascular disease, which obstructed adequate supply of blood to his heart, and
that, due to the severity of Mr. Blake’s heart disease, he would have needed to be on an operating
table almost immediately to have survived his cardiac arrest.
Based on the investigation, OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Blake’s death.
Mr. Blake was Black. At the time of his death he was 45 years old.
Brandon Rodriguez, August 10, 2021.
Brandon Rodriguez was arrested on August 4, 2021, for Strangulation in the Second Degree and
other crimes, and housed at OBCC.
On August 5, 2021, at OBCC, a corrections officer assessed Mr. Rodriguez for suicide risk and
found no suicide risk. Mr. Rodriguez was held in an overcrowded OBCC Intake holding pen for the
next two and a half days, until, on August 8, at 9:45 am, he was assaulted by other incarcerated
persons (captured on video) and removed for medical care. Mr. Rodriguez was initially treated at a
clinic on Rikers Island and was later taken to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment of a broken bone
around his eye; he was returned to OBCC in the morning of August 9.
Later on August 9 a doctor and a social worker assessed Mr. Rodriguez’s physical and mental
condition; neither found him to be a suicide risk, though both indicated he needed mental health
follow-up. Mr. Rodriguez’s medical records, from prior stays on Rikers Island, indicated he had
attempted suicide previously. It is not clear whether the two professionals who evaluated Mr.
Rodriguez on August 9 saw or had access to those records at the time of the evaluations.
On the same day, after the evaluations, Mr. Rodriguez assaulted an incarcerated person (captured
on video) and corrections officers took him to the Segregation Intake housing area; when he
physically resisted transport to the area, corrections officers used force to handcuff him and place
him on a gurney to take him to the area (captured on video). Upon arrival in the Segregation area,
shortly before 4:00 pm, corrections officers put Mr. Rodriguez in a shower cell, explaining that the
regular cells had not been cleaned.
According to an officer’s incident report, at about 7:20 pm, corrections officers came to Mr.
Rodriguez, still in the shower cell, told him they were going to take him to a medical clinic to be
evaluated because of the earlier use of force, and began to place handcuffs on him through a
cuffing port. However, with only one wrist cuffed, Mr. Rodriguez pulled his arms back and refused to
allow his other wrist to be cuffed. The corrections officers demanded that he allow them either to
cuff the other wrist or to take their cuffs back, but Mr. Rodriguez refused. Some, though not all,
nearby incarcerated persons said in investigative interviews that Mr. Rodriguez said he would kill
himself and that one of the officers responded, I don’t care if you kill yourself, I need my cuffs back.
22

Video surveillance (which does not have audio) confirms that officers arrived about 7:20 pm, spoke
to Mr. Rodriguez in the cell, and appeared (from a vantage point behind the officers) to attempt to
cuff him and then struggle with him. One of the officers involved in the cuffing incident refused, via
her attorney, OSI’s request for an interview; the other officer has left NYC DOC employment and OSI
has not succeeded in locating and interviewing him.
After the cuffing incident, video shows that Mr. Rodriguez spoke often with other incarcerated
persons, and that a corrections officer frequently checked on Mr. Rodriguez. Video also captured
Mr. Rodriguez appearing to prepare to take his own life, taking off his shirt, twisting it, putting it
around his neck, and tying it to something in the cell. There are moments in the video, especially
after midnight, when it appears that Mr. Rodriguez ceased his preparatory actions because another
person was nearby and might have been able to see him. Although the video does not capture an
incarcerated person or the corrections officer noticing these actions, one incarcerated person, in a
later interview, said he saw these actions but did not realize Mr. Rodriguez was going to hang
himself.
Video shows that at 12:03 am, the corrections officer assigned to the Segregation Intake housing
area looked directly into Mr. Rodriguez’s cell for 20 seconds, from the gallery above and across
from the cell, and then left the area. Video shows that at 12:33 am the officer re-entered the gallery
above and across from Mr. Rodriguez’s cell, looked into the cell, went down to the cell, opened it,
moved Mr. Rodriguez, used his radio, and began chest compressions on Mr. Rodriguez. The NYC
DOC incident report states that the officer found Mr. Rodriguez hanging at 12:30 am. Based on
recorded transmissions, the officer made three radio calls for medical to come ASAP while he
continued to perform chest compressions. Medical staff arrived at 12:43 am and continued
attempts to resuscitate Mr. Rodriguez. Medical staff declared Mr. Rodriguez dead at 1:08 am. The
medical examiner determined the cause of death to be hanging.
The officer who found Mr. Rodriguez refused, via his attorney, OSI’s request for an interview.
Despite the many failures that preceded Mr. Rodriguez’s death, OSI did not find reason to believe
that a corrections officer caused his death. The excessive time he spent in the Intake pens, during
which he was assaulted, was a systemic failure; more than 40 incarcerated persons were in a
similar situation, apparently the result of a staffing shortage when OBCC corrections officers called
in sick.28 The doctor and the social worker who failed to recognize Mr. Rodriguez’s suicide risk were
not corrections officers; even if they could be considered to have contributed to the cause of Mr.
Rodriguez’s death by failing to put him on suicide watch, Section 70-b does not authorize OSI to
investigate or prosecute their conduct. And the evidence is not conclusive whether a corrections
officer said, “I don’t care if you kill yourself.” Assuming such a statement was made, and as harsh

See New York City Board of Corrections report on suicides and drug-related deaths, Gothamist (August 12, 2021)
news article, and The City (August 26, 2021) news article.
28

23

and improper as it would have been, it is hard to conclude that the statement would have caused
Mr. Rodriguez to take his own life.
However, the failures in Mr. Rodriguez’s case were significant, and they are part of the basis for a
recommendation, detailed in Section 5.4 below, on reducing suicide risk in New York’s jails and
prisons.
Brandon Rodriguez was Hispanic. At the time of this death he was 25 years old.
Segundo Guallpa, August 30, 2021.
Segundo Guallpa was arrested on August 18, 2021, for Strangulation in the Second Degree and
was housed in the West Facility on Rikers Island.
A corrections officer performed a standard screening for suicide risk, which the officer assessed as
zero. Mr. Guallpa was initially assigned to medical housing, due to the heightened Covid risk
presented by his asthma; during his time in medical housing he was seen a number of times by
medical staff, who noted no apparent physical or mental health issues in their records before
clearing him, on August 29, for transfer to regular housing.
Shortly after 1:00 am on August 30, corrections officers conducting a round failed to get a response
from Mr. Guallpa when they turned on the light in his cell and knocked on the door. Upon entering
the cell, corrections officers found Mr. Guallpa hanging, in a seated position, from a ligature made
of socks and attached to the bed frame. Correctional and medical staff were unable to revive him,
and medical staff declared Mr. Guallpa dead shortly after 1:30 am. Mr. Guallpa was in early-stage
rigor mortis when he was found. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be
hanging but would not opine on how long Mr. Guallpa was dead before he was found.
OSI requested interviews with the corrections officers assigned to Mr. Guallpa’s housing area
during the time in question, and, through their lawyers, each refused to speak with us.
Based on the investigation, OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Guallpa’s death. Although video shows that corrections officers assigned to Mr. Guallpa’s housing
area on the night of August 29 and the early morning hours of August 30 missed scheduled rounds
(the officers falsely reported having done those rounds, and four officers – including two captains –
were disciplined), OSI could not conclude that Mr. Guallpa’s death would have been prevented had
all rounds been properly conducted. Based on interviews with medical examiners in a number of
cases, it appears that brain death can occur within a few minutes when a person begins to hang.29
Based on OSI’s review of a number of suicides in jails and prisons, even in cases where video
shows officers made regular rounds, incarcerated persons were able to hang themselves in the
space of a few minutes, without being noticed, between those rounds. (See, later in this section,
Goldstein, S. (2020, December 3). Hanging Injuries and Strangulation. Medscape. Retrieved from:
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/826704-overview?reg=1.
29

24

the case of Antonio Bradley.) Therefore, even if the officers in the case of Mr. Guallpa had made
regular rounds, OSI cannot conclude they would have prevented Mr. Guallpa’s death.
Segundo Guallpa was Hispanic. At the time of his death he was 58 years old.
Esias Johnson, September 7, 2021.
Esias Johnson was arrested on August 6, 2021, for Menacing in the Second Degree, and housed at
the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island.
On September 7, 2021, corrections officers found Mr. Johnson in his bed and unresponsive at 9:11
am. When medical staff arrived they saw that Mr. Johnson was not breathing and in early-stage
rigor mortis; they declared him dead at 9:43 am. The medical examiner determined the cause of
death to be acute methadone intoxication.
Video shows that Mr. Johnson went to bed a few minutes after 1:00 am and appeared to stop
breathing about 6:00 am. The medical examiner opined that, assuming Mr. Johnson had taken a
fatal dose of methadone shortly before going to bed, it might have been possible to save him with
Naloxone if administered soon after, with the chances of success decreasing over time; if
corrections officers had noticed that he stopped breathing at 6:00 am, it would probably have been
too late to save him.30
OSI examined allegations that prior to his death Mr. Johnson was denied medical care for digestive
problems but could not substantiate them. Rikers medical records indicate medical staff saw Mr.
Johnson on August 11, 19, and 26, and September 1, and that on August 17 and September 6 Mr.
Johnson refused medical care; the medical notes do not indicate Mr. Johnson complained of
digestive problems.
Video shows that the corrections officer assigned to conduct rounds every 30 minutes in Mr.
Johnson’s housing area from at 3:15 am to 9:15 am on September 7 only conducted four rounds
(three of which were incomplete) and failed to conduct seven rounds; the officer falsely noted in the
logbook that “active supervision” was conducted every 30 minutes as required. (Under NYC DOC
rules, active supervision requires, among other things, checking each incarcerated person
individually for signs of life.) Three corrections officers (including a captain) were reassigned
pending disciplinary proceedings. OSI requested interviews with four officers, each of whom
refused, via counsel.
Based on the investigation, OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Johnson’s death.
Esias Johnson was Black. At the time of his death he was 24 years old.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used to rapidly reduce the effects of opioid overdose by attaching to opioid
receptors, blocking the effects of other opioids, and quickly restoring normal breathing if administered quickly enough.
Naloxone has no known adverse effects if administered on someone who does not have opioids in their system. See
National Institute on Drug Abuse – Naloxone Drug Facts
30

25

Karim Isaabdul, September 19, 2021.
Karim Isaabdul was arrested on August 18, 2021 on a parole warrant and was housed in Dorm 3 of
the North Infirmary Command on Rikers Island, a housing area for persons needing special medical
attention. Mr. Isaabdul had been on parole from a state prison sentence for Criminal Sale of a
Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
On September 19, 2021, as captured on video, Mr. Isaabdul, who was wheelchair-bound, was in a
common area, speaking with other incarcerated persons, when, at 6:37 pm, he seemed to slump
and suffer pain. At 6:42 pm a medical response team arrived and, at 6:48 pm, took Mr. Isaabdul on
a gurney to an adjacent clinic. Medical records show that medical staff administered Narcan and
epinephrine to Mr. Isaabdul at the clinic, but failed to revive him. He was pronounced dead at 7:35
pm.
OSI looked into allegations that Mr. Isaabdul complained of feeling ill and failed to get treatment,
but could not substantiate them. According to the Correctional Health Service (“CHS”)31 medical
records, Mr. Isaabdul was seen by medical and mental health staff on 25 of the 32 days he was
incarcerated, and, on many of those days, was seen more than once.
According to medical records, medical staff evaluated Mr. Isaabdul on August 21, 2021 and
diagnosed him with asthma, spinal fusion, seizure disorder, hypertension, diabetes, and
schizoaffective disorder. Staff developed a treatment and medication plan for each diagnosis,
including a diet and follow-up lab work for diabetes, medication for hypertension and seizure
disorder, an inhaler for asthma, medication and regular appointments with mental health
professionals for schizoaffective disorder, and a wheelchair to assist with mobility. Medical staff
reevaluated Mr. Isaabdul several times to assess his medications; on three occasions Mr. Isaabdul
told a physician he was non-compliant with his medication. On August 25, 2021, Mr. Isaabdul
tested positive for Covid-19 and was quarantined before moving to Dorm 3. When medical staff
saw Mr. Isaabdul on September 16, 2021, he complained of pain to his arm and chest, and they
ordered a chest x-ray for September 20, the day after he died. Medical staff saw Mr. Isaabdul the
next day, September 17, 2021.
The medical examiner found that Mr. Isaabdul died of “pulmonary emboli due to right lower
extremity deep vein thrombosis complicating Covid-19 in a person with decreased mobility due to
degenerative spine disease.”
Based on the investigation OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Isaabdul’s death.
Records vary as to whether Mr. Isaabdul was Black or Hispanic. At the time of his death he was 41
years old.

CHS is part of the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, not NYC DOC.
https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/correctionalhealthservices/
31

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Steven Khadu, September 22, 2021.
Stephen Khadu was arrested on December 19, 2019 for Murder in the Second Degree and was
housed at the Vernon C. Bain Center (“VCBC”), a jail barge docked at the southern shore of the
Bronx.
On July 6, 2021 Mr. Khadu suffered a seizure and was treated at Lincoln Hospital from July 6 to
July 12. On September 22, 2021, as captured on video, Mr. Khadu suffered another seizure, at
8:15 am; medical staff arrived at 8:25 am, brought him to the infirmary and treated him with
medication; his condition seemed to improve, but then he suffered another seizure. According to
medical records, a team from Emergency Medical Services arrived at the infirmary at 9:39 am and
a second team of emergency medical technicians, who were trained in advanced life support,
arrived at 9:42 am. The two teams of EMTs moved Mr. Khadu out of the clinic at 9:52 am and took
him by ambulance to Lincoln Hospital. Mr. Khadu suffered a heart attack en route and, despite the
EMTs’ efforts in the ambulance, including intubating Mr. Khadu and performing cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, he was pronounced dead at 10:55 am, five minutes after arrival at the hospital.
The medical examiner determined that Mr. Khadu died of complications of lymphocytic meningitis.
In an interview with OSI, the medical examiner said that meningitis increases the risk of seizure
because it causes inflammation of the brain, and that any prolonged seizure can lead to difficulty
breathing, which in turn can lead to cardiac arrest and death, as happened to Mr. Khadu.
OSI examined allegations that Mr. Khadu did not receive adequate medical care but could not
confirm them. According to medical records, upon Mr. Khadu’s return to VCBC after his hospital
stay for the July seizure, he saw medical staff on July 12, July 14, August 4, August 12, and August
14, 2021. From September 15 to September 20, 2021, Mr. Khadu made eight recorded phone
calls, which OSI reviewed; he did not say he was being denied medical care.
Based on the investigation OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Khadu’s death.
Mr. Khadu was Black. At the time of his death he was 24 years old.
Victor Mercado, October 15, 2021.
Victor Mercado was arrested on July 21, 2021 for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in
the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. After testing positive
for Covid-19 on October 8, 2021, he was transferred from the North Infirmary Command to the
Communicable Disease Unit (“CDU”) of the West Facility, on Rikers Island.
On the day he tested positive, Mr. Mercado did not have a high fever or difficulty breathing. On the
next day, October 9, according to medical records, he had a fever of 102.1, which dropped after he
took Tylenol. From October 10 through 13, Mr. Mercado’s temperature did not exceed 100.5
degrees, and his blood oxygen level did not drop below 95%. Medical records show that medical
27

staff in the CDU checked on Mr. Mercado at least twice a day on October 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14,
and once on October 13.
On the morning of October 14, 2021, according to a logbook entry, Mr. Mercado complained of
difficulty breathing at 9:45 am. Medical records show corrections officers made an emergency
medical call for Mr. Mercado at 10:05 am, and that a doctor and a nurse responded, examined Mr.
Mercado, and determined he should go to the hospital. Video shows that oxygen and an IV drip
were brought to Mr. Mercado’s cell at 10:17 am, that Emergency Medical Services arrived at 10:40
am, and that EMS left with Mr. Mercado for the hospital at 10:55 am. Medical records show that
Mr. Mercado arrived at Elmhurst Hospital at 11:36 am and was immediately intubated. He was
pronounced dead at the hospital the next day, at 12:39 pm.
The medical examiner determined that Mr. Mercado’s Covid-19 infection caused lung
consolidation, which in turn caused sepsis, renal failure, and death. Mr. Mercado had a number of
underlying medical conditions that put him at a higher risk for severe Covid-19 outcomes.
Based on the investigation, OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Mercado’s death.
Mr. Mercado was Hispanic. At the time of his death he was 64 years old.
Malcolm Boatwright, December 10, 2021.
Malcolm Boatwright was arrested on November 11, 2021 for Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and
was housed in the PACE Unit of the Anna M. Kross Center (“AMKC”), on Rikers Island. PACE stands
for Programs to Accelerate Clinical Effectiveness and is a unit for persons with significant mental
health or behavioral issues.
Video shows that Mr. Boatwright was playing a card game with other incarcerated persons in the
PACE Unit on December 8, 2021 when, at 1:14 pm, he had a seizure, which lasted for three to four
minutes. A nurse was present and called a medical emergency. Medical staff brought Mr.
Boatwright to a clinic, where he was examined by a doctor, who sent him to Elmhurst Hospital for
evaluation and testing. In the hospital, at midnight, as he was about to have an X-ray, Mr.
Boatwright had another seizure. After further evaluations, doctors sent Mr. Boatwright to Bellevue
Hospital for a further testing; he arrived at Bellevue midday on December 9. (Mr. Boatwright was in
the prison wards of both hospitals.) At Bellevue, on the 9th and into the 10th, video shows
corrections officers made regular rounds of the ward where Mr. Boatwright was housed. At 4:15 am
on the 10th, corrections officers summoned medical staff to Mr. Boatwright’s room after finding him
unresponsive on the floor. Medical staff arrived at 4:18 am, but their efforts failed, and Mr.
Boatwright was declared dead at 5:36 am.
Although Mr. Boatwright had no history of seizure disorder before December 8, he had been taking
medications for mental illness. On December 4, under the guidance of physicians at AMKC, Mr.
Boatwright finished tapering off Clozapine, and had not started any new medications. On autopsy,
the medical examiner found no evidence of external trauma, or of meningitis or Covid-19; the
28

cardiac pathologist did not find indications of disease; neuropathology was negative; and
microscopic genetic analysis was negative for abnormality that could explain death. In an interview
with OSI, the medical examiner said that the medical taper of Clozapine could have been a
contributing factor to Mr. Boatwright’s seizures. The final autopsy report said the cause of death
was complications of non-traumatic seizure disorder of undetermined etiology (origin), and that the
manner of death was “natural.”
Based on the investigation, OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Boatwright’s death.
Mr. Boatwright was Black. At the time of his death he was 28 years old.
Antonio Bradley, June 18, 2022.
Antonio Bradley was arrested on October 13, 2021 for Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the
Second Degree and was housed at the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island.
On the morning of June 10, 2022, Mr. Bradley was transported from Rikers Island to a holding cell
in the Bronx courthouse to await a scheduled court appearance. A recorded phone call between Mr.
Bradley and his father, from earlier in the morning of the same day, indicated that Mr. Bradley
hoped to be released as a result of the court appearance. The appearance, however, was
postponed, which Mr. Bradley learned in a conversation with his lawyer at about 12:15 pm, while
he was still in the holding cell in the courthouse. Video shows that corrections officers spoke with
Mr. Bradley at 4:18 pm and 4:22 pm, while he was in the holding cell. At 4:23 pm, video shows Mr.
Bradley began to twist his sweatshirt into a ligature; he tied it around his neck and to the cell bars
and knelt down; he repositioned himself and knelt down again. At 4:25:13 pm his body went limp.
At 4:33 pm corrections officers came to take Mr. Bradley back to Rikers Island but found him
hanging. A corrections officer opened the cell door and officers used an automated external
defibrillator and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Emergency Medical Services arrived at
4:52 pm and took Mr. Bradley to Lincoln Hospital where he continued to receive emergency
treatment. Brain death began on June 13, and a doctor pronounced Mr. Bradley dead on June 18,
2022.
Based on the investigation, OSI did not find reason to believe that a corrections officer caused Mr.
Bradley’s death.
Antonio Bradley was Black. At the time of his death he was 28 years old.

29

5. Recommendations
Section 70-b directs OSI to include in the annual report recommendations for systemic or other
reforms indicated by OSI’s investigations. OSI makes five recommendations in this report, as
follows:

5.1 Body Worn Cameras and Dashboard Cameras
RECOMMENDATION

The Legislature and the Governor should require by statute that all police and sheriff’s departments
deploy and use body-worn cameras (“BWCs”) and dashboard cameras (“dashcams”) and should
provide smaller departments with related funding from the state and training by the Department of
Criminal Justice Services (“DCJS”).
In the 2019 Biennial Report under Executive Order 147, OSI’s predecessor unit recommended, and
in the 2021 Annual Report under Section 70-b, OSI recommended that all police agencies in New
York outfit their officers with BWCs and dashcams so that encounters between police and the
public would be captured on video.32
Although seven states – Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, and
South Carolina – now mandate statewide use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement officers,33
there is no law in New York requiring police agencies in New York to deploy BWCs or dashcams. Of
the 89 deaths involving police agencies reported to OSI from September 1, 2021, to August 31,
2022, agencies in 27 cases were not equipped with BWCs or dashcams.34
The absence of video has the potential to hinder thorough investigation of such matters and to
diminish trust in law enforcement.
For example, in the cases of Timothy Flowers and Dedrick James in Rochester, no BWCs
visually captured the incidents. In the case of Mr. Flowers, the absence of BWC was due to
the Rochester Police Department’s policy against SWAT Team use of BWC; in the case of Mr.
James the absence of BWC was due to the US Marshals Service’s failure to implement a
then-recent policy allowing use of BWC during arrests.35
In the cases of Judson Albahm, in Onondaga County, and David Wandell in the City of Elmira,
Chemung County, members of multiple police agencies pursued and fired guns at the two

See 2019 Biennial Report, pp. 48-49, https://ag.ny.gov/OSI. See 2021 OSI Annual Report, pp. 16-17,
https://ag.ny.gov/OSI
33 See National Conference of State Legislatures Body-Worn Camera Laws Database.
34 OSI received 106 notifications on a gross basis involving police agencies. However, 14 of those matters did not
involve a death and 3 of those matters did not involve an officer as defined by Section 70-b, leaving 89 matters net.
See Section 6 for more detail.
35 See above, Section 3 for summaries of the Flowers and James cases and links to the full reports.
32

30

persons who died. The members of some of those agencies had BWCs and the members of
other agencies did not. As a result, neither shooting was visually captured on video.36
In the cases of Jeffrey McClure and Jesse Bonsignore, both in Suffolk County, the officers
involved were not equipped with BWCs. Although Suffolk County has committed to equipping
officers with BWCs, implementation does not appear to be complete.37
Body-worn and dashboard cameras increase transparency and accountability, in addition to
potentially reducing unnecessary uses of force.38 Cameras also assist in gathering evidence and
providing an objective account of incidents, which benefits civilians, communities, and police
departments.39
Because funding and training could be difficult for smaller departments, we recommend that the
state provide the funding, and, through DCJS, the training to such departments so that they are
able to implement a BWC and dashcam mandate.40

5.2 Video in Jails and Prisons
RECOMMENDATION

The Legislature and the Governor should require by statute that all agencies in the state that
operate jails and prisons outfit them with surveillance video, equip the corrections officers staffing
them with body worn cameras, and should provide smaller corrections agencies with related state
funding and, through DCJS or the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
(“DOCCS”), training.
Section 70-b directs OSI to investigate, and, if warranted, to prosecute deaths caused by peace
officers, including all corrections officers in the state. The Attorney General’s Office did not have
this authority prior to April 1, 2021, the effective date of Section 70-b.

See above, Section 3 for summaries of the Albahm and Wandell cases and links to the full reports.
See above, Section 3 for summaries of the McClure and Bonsignore cases and links to the full reports.
38 See the Benefits of Body-worn Cameras: New Findings from a Randomized Control Trial at the Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department.
39 New York State Division of Criminal Justice Division Services – Municipal Police Training Council. (2015). Body-worn
Camera Model Policy.
40 DCJS has issued a model BWC policy with guidance for modification based on the varying capacities of local police
departments. See DCJS Body-Worn Camera Model Policy. Similar federal guidance is available from the US Department
of Justice, see Bureau of Justice Assistance, Body-Worn Camera Frequently Asked Questions. Storage and preservation
of video from BWCs and dashcams can also be a significant cost, and funding from the state for smaller departments
should cover those costs as well. Separately, some BWC systems automatically activate an officer’s camera when the
officer draws a gun; this and other automated features address the possibility that an officer will forget to activate the
camera in moments of stress.
36
37

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There are about 46,600 persons incarcerated in New York.41 From April 1, 2021, through August
31, 2022, OSI examined 120 incidents in jails and prisons.42 Facilities in 50 of those investigations
were equipped with surveillance video that captured relevant images, and corrections officers in 22
of those investigations were equipped with BWCs. Remarkably, even certain large prisons in the
state prison system, including Sing Sing, in Westchester County, do not have surveillance video.
Police departments throughout the state are expanding their use of body-worn cameras to increase
transparency in police encounters with civilians; use of BWCs could advance the same goal in jails
and prisons. An increasing number of state prison systems are outfitting corrections officers with
body-worn cameras, even in settings where fixed surveillance cameras are already in use. For
example, California began expanding the use of body-worn cameras in prisons following allegations
of abuse of people with disabilities within the correctional system.43 Similarly, Ohio expanded the
use of body-worn cameras in correctional settings following the death of an incarcerated person
amid a use of force incident.44
Body-worn cameras in correctional settings have the potential to reduce violence and hold
incarcerated persons or officers accountable in appropriate cases. Fixed surveillance cameras in
correctional settings are important, but they have blind spots that prevent incidents occurring
outside the view of cameras from being recorded and are generally aimed away from private areas,
including cell interiors and bathrooms. Although procedures for use of body-worn cameras in jails
and prisons should provide for avoiding infringements of privacy, employment of body-worn
cameras during uses of force, cell extractions, emergencies requiring forced cell entry, and
mortality incidents would add to the available body of evidence in many investigations.

5.3 Training Police for Behavioral Health Emergencies
RECOMMENDATION

The Legislature and the Governor should require by statute that all police and sheriff’s departments
meaningfully train all officers in crisis intervention, both at the academy and on an ongoing basis,
and should provide smaller departments with related state funding and, through DCJS, training.

According to DCJS, as of August 2022 the NYC DOC population is just under 5600 and the aggregate county jail
population outside New York City is just over 10,000. See DCJS Monthly Population Report. According to the Fact Sheet
issued by NY DOCCS as of September 1, 2022, the population of the DOCCS system is just over 31,000. See DOCCS
Factsheet.
42 OSI received notification of 126 incidents in the jails and prisons on a gross basis. However, 3 of those incidents did
not involve a death, 2 of those incidents did not involve an officer as defined by Section 70-b, and 1 person who died
was an employee of the agency, not an incarcerated person, leaving 120 incidents, net. See Section 6 for more detail.
43 Sheeler, A. (July 26, 2021). CA correctional officers to wear body cameras in state prisons. The Sacramento Bee.
Retrieved from: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article252906793.html
44 Walsh-Higgins, A. (2021, October 29). Prison system adding body-worn cameras to security plans. ABC News.
Retrieved from: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/prison-systems-adding-body-worn-cameras-security-plans80856281
41

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OSI’s first annual report recommended that police officers and other members of police
departments be trained to respond to persons experiencing mental health crises, whether druginduced or otherwise, including training for 911 operators and dispatchers to accurately record and
transmit the facts conveyed to them, and training for responding officers in de-escalation
methods.45
OSI is not staffed with medical or mental health professionals, but among the cases for which OSI
issued public reports during the last 12 months, the following cases involved persons who seemed
to be undergoing mental health crises (see Section 3 above for fuller summaries and links to the
full reports):
Jeffrey McClure died in Suffolk County in June of 2020. Officers responded to a 911 call
about a person who was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and experiencing a mental
health crisis. When officers arrived, Mr. McClure threatened to kill them while holding a
realistic-looking pellet rifle, which resulted in his death when an officer, believing he was
holding a firearm, responded with gunfire.
George Zapantis died in Queens County in June of 2020. When police arrived they quickly
realized Mr. Zapantis might be undergoing a mental health crisis, and called for assistance
from the Emergency Services Unit, which has trained negotiators, while they attempted to
de-escalate on their own. The situation quickly deteriorated and led to Mr. Zapantis’s death
in a physical struggle, including Taser use, when he became increasingly agitated and
physically came at the officers gathered outside his door.
Judson Albahm died in Onondaga County in March of 2021. A team of mental health
providers had come to Judson’s house for a previously scheduled evaluation, but his mother
requested police intervention after he fled by car. Some responding officers, but not all,
were aware that Judson had a history of mental health issues and possessed an imitation
gun. When Judson stopped fleeing and pointed a realistic-looking gun at some officers,
officers shot and killed him.
Jesse Bonsignore died in Suffolk County in May of 2021. When an officer tapped on the
window of the car in which Mr. Bonsignore was sleeping, he screamed incoherently and then
said, repeatedly, I’m going to kill you. When Mr. Bonsignore got out of the car, against the
officer’s direction, the officer physically engaged him, which led to a struggle involving Mr.
Bonsignore’s attempt first to get at a folding knife on his own belt and then to get at the
officer’s gun. The officer responded by shooting Mr. Bonsignore.
Christopher Van Kleeck died in Orange County in June of 2021. He had a history of
hospitalization and other treatment for mental illness. After a series of escalating threats,
family members called a mobile mental health team through the County crisis center, but
See 2021 OSI Annual Report. Retrieved from: https://ag.ny.gov/OSI. A similar recommendation was made in the
Biennial Report issued by OSI’s predecessor unit in 2019 at pages 43-44. https://ag.ny.gov/uploads/biennial-reportoffice-attorney-generals-special-investigations-prosecutions-unit-2019
45

33

the center called on the police to intervene. The first responding officer had seconds to
decide whether to shoot Mr. Van Kleeck, who came at his father, and then toward the
officer’s car, with knives raised in both hands.
Allison Lakie died in the City of Syracuse, in Onondaga County, in October of 2021. Officers,
some of whom were trained in crisis intervention, all understood that Ms. Lakie was
undergoing a mental health or drug or alcohol induced crisis and spoke with her for two
hours, attempting to persuade her to put down her knife and come out of her mother’s
house. In the end, because Ms. Lakie had set a fire, which was growing, the officers entered
the house to put out the fire and shot Ms. Lakie when she came at them with knives in each
hand.
See also Section 6, below, concerning OSI’s data on 22 police shootings, in which 10 of the
persons who died appeared to be in the midst of a mental health crisis or a drug induced mental
health crisis.
As these cases illustrate, persons undergoing apparent mental health crises often present
significant danger to others – including any mental health professionals who might respond to such
a crisis. It is therefore inevitable that police officers will need to respond to such cases.
Although many jurisdictions in New York have mental health professionals who respond to reports
of persons undergoing mental health crises, availability is often limited – for example, professionals
may not be not available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, or may not be available to cover all
sectors of a county, or may not be numerous enough to respond to more than one emergency at a
time.46 Moreover, many situations may not be recognized initially as mental health emergencies at
all – as when the 911 caller does not describe what appears to be a mental health crisis or the 911
dispatchers do not transmit the relevant information. Therefore, even in jurisdictions which have
mental health responders, police will often respond to mental health emergencies without the
assistance of mental health professionals. When mental health professionals do respond, in many
cases they will need to wait until the police officers have made the situation safe enough for the
mental health professionals to take action. And, finally, though many police departments have
specialized units with members trained in crisis intervention, those units generally deploy only when
the first responders call them and so they do not arrive on scene until crucial minutes have passed.
Therefore, it is essential that all officers in all departments in the state receive meaningful training
in handling mental health emergencies. It simply will not be possible for officers to await the arrival
of specialized police units or mobile mental health teams in every case.
Several police departments in New York have introduced crisis intervention training to assist
responding officers in better addressing cases in which persons show signs of mental illness or
drug use. DCJS offers Fundamental Crisis Intervention Skills for Law Enforcement in collaboration
For example, as OSI learned in the investigation of the McClure case, summarized in Section 3, above, Suffolk County
has a civilian crisis intervention program whose members, at the time, were available to respond to crises only at
certain times and in certain sectors.
46

34

with the New York State Office of Mental Health, as well as a mental health section in the Basic
Course for Police and Peace Officers.47
However, New York law on crisis intervention training for police officers does not assure effective
training. Under Section 840(4)(d)(2)(vii) of the Executive Law, the Municipal Police Training Council
(“MPTC”) must promulgate a model use of force policy, including “training mandates on … conflict
prevention, conflict resolution and negotiation, de-escalation techniques and strategies, including,
but not limited to, interacting with persons presenting in an agitated condition….” Under Section
840(3) all police agencies in the state must, at minimum, adopt the model policy. It is not clear how
effective this is. MPTC’s model policy provides for crisis training is a word-for-word repetition of the
statutory provision just quoted. And the use of force policy adopted by the New York State Police,
for example, is a word-for-word repetition of the model policy. Given the inadequate response of
some police agencies to apparent mental health crises in the cases investigated by OSI, questions
remain about whether high quality, meaningful behavioral health curriculums are being delivered to
all police officers.
When responding to behavioral health emergencies, law enforcement personnel must balance
public safety concerns with the complex needs of persons with mental illness. The new 988 Suicide
and Crisis Hotline 48 offers an alternative to 911 and has the potential to divert many behavioral
health emergencies from law enforcement to local mental health providers, but safety concerns
inevitably arising in many of these scenarios will continue to require police involvement. This makes
crisis intervention training necessary for all police officers.
Partnerships between law enforcement, mental health providers, and emergency medical
professionals could figure prominently in improving community responses to behavioral health
emergencies and alleviating the burden placed on responding officers. Various models, such as
Crisis Intervention Team programs,49 Mental Health First Aid50 curriculum, and various Police
Mental Health Collaboration51 programs have shown promise in their potential to mitigate risk and
yield favorable outcomes for persons who are experiencing mental health crises amid police
encounters.

The NYPD implemented crisis intervention training in 2021, consisting of a four-day course that trained over 16,000
police officers on how to recognize signs of mental illness and assist people in crisis as part of a partnership between
the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health and the NYPD. Several law enforcement officers in Chautauqua County
completed Crisis Intervention Team Training in April, 2022. See also DCJS training material: New York State Division of
Criminal Justice Services (2022), Police and Peace Officer Training,
https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/ops/training/calendar.htm
48 See U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA): https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
49 See Crisis Intervention Training International for more information on de-escalation and crisis response:
https://www.citinternational.org/
50 Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of
mental illness and substance use disorders. For details see: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/about/
51 The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance offers training and toolkits on Police Mental Health
Collaboration programs to support law enforcement agencies in collaborating with mental health providers and
advocates to improve overall safety. For details see: https://bja.ojp.gov/program/pmhc
47

35

Therefore, we urge the Legislature and the Governor, by statute, to mandate that all police and
sheriff’s departments in the state provide meaningful crisis intervention training to all officers to
improve responses to persons presenting with mental health emergencies. All officers should be
introduced to such a curriculum as new recruits and be given regular, ongoing training throughout
their careers. We recommend that the Legislature authorize financial and administrative support to
make possible the universal implementation of such training across all municipal police and
sheriff’s departments in the state.

5.4 Suicide Prevention in Jails and Prisons
RECOMMENDATION

New York’s jail and prison personnel should take, at minimum, four common-sense steps to
improve suicide prevention.
OSI received notification of 120 deaths in jails and prisons between September 1, 2021, and
August 31, 2022.52 Of those, 27 deaths were by suicide (or, pending autopsy, apparent suicide).53
Based on medical records obtained by OSI in the course of its investigations, 19 of the persons who
died by suicide had a mental health history.54
Two things stand out about these 27 deaths.
First, though the sample size is small, the suicide rate in New York’s jails and prisons appears to be
more than twice as high as the suicide rate in the United States. There are about 46,600 persons
incarcerated in New York in 2022.55 For that population, 27 suicides in a year would be a rate of
about 57.9 per 100,000. All the suicides were men. According to the website of the National
Institutes of Mental Health, the age-adjusted suicide rate for men in the United States in 2020 was
21.9 per 100,000.56

See the recommendation for video in jails and prisons, above, and Section 6, below, for how this number is
calculated.
53 OSI is not notified of an event unless a death results, but, based on statistics OSI obtained from the New York State
Commission on Correction, there were 166 attempted suicides in New York jails and prisons from September 2021 to
August 2022 that did not result in death. OSI does not have data showing how many persons were involved in the 166
attempts (we assume some persons made more than one attempt), nor how many of the persons making an attempt
later “succeeded” and died.
52

For the purposes of this report, mental health history is defined as documentation of mental health treatment,
confirmed diagnosis of mental illness as defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, history of psychiatric hospitalization, and/or documentation of prescribed
psychotropic medication for the purposes of managing mental health symptoms. An absence of documented mental
health treatment does not necessarily indicate that incarcerated persons were not experiencing mental health
challenges, as many cases are undiagnosed, under-reported, and inadvertently untreated.
55 According to DCJS, as of August 2022 the NYC DOC population was just under 5600 and the aggregate county jail
population outside New York City was just over 10,000. See DCJS Monthly Population Report. According to the Fact
Sheet issued by DOCCS as of September 1, 2022, the population of the DOCCS system is just over 31,000, DOCCS
Factsheet.
56 See NIMH Suicide Statistics. Despite being the first year of the Covid pandemic, the suicide rate reported by NIMH for
2020 was actually lower than the rate for 2019. According to NIMH, the suicide rate for men is almost five times the
54

36

Second, of the 27 persons who died by suicide in New York’s jails and prisons in the 12 months
ended August 31, 2022, the institutions identified 8 as persons at risk of suicide, but failed to
prevent their deaths, and failed to identify the other 19 persons as at risk of suicide.
It is not surprising that incarcerated persons would take their own lives at a greater rate than nonincarcerated persons, and no one expects that New York’s jail and prison personnel will identify all
persons at risk of suicide or prevent all deaths from suicide. However, based on OSI’s
investigations, there do appear to be, at minimum, four common-sense steps New York’s jail and
prison personnel could take to reduce suicide risk.
First, professionals with relevant training should conduct the initial suicide risk screenings upon a
person’s arrival at a jail or prison. Although initial screenings for suicide risk were done in all of the
27 cases examined by OSI for the 12-month period ended August 31, 2022, those in the county
jails and the NYC DOC jails were done by corrections officers, not medically trained personnel, such
as a nurse, a social worker, or a doctor, using simple questionnaires that relied on the officer’s
observations and the person’s responses to determine suicide risk.57 OSI urges the jails to require
that initial suicide screenings be conducted by professionals who are trained to take inmates’
histories and make nuanced observations.
Second, personnel conducting inmates’ initial screenings must have and take account of inmates’
mental health histories. According to medical and behavioral health records obtained by OSI in the
course of its investigations, 19 of the 27 persons who died by suicide in the 12 months ended
August 31, 2022 had a documented history of mental health treatment, including 11 diagnosed
with a serious mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression,58
and 10 with histories of self-harm, including prior suicide attempts.59
For example, Brandon Rodriguez died by suicide in a jail on Rikers Island on August 10, 2021 (prior
to the 12-month period ended August 31, 2022). Although he was seen by a doctor and a social
worker after his initial suicide risk screening, neither of them rated him a suicide risk. Despite the
existence of medical records showing Mr. Rodriguez had a history of mental illness and had
previously attempted suicide, it is not clear that either professional had access to, or if they did,
read those records. (See a description of Mr. Rodriguez’s case in Section 4 above.)60

rate for women.
57 For example, NYC DOC corrections officers use a questionnaire that includes the questions, “Detainee is thinking
about killing self (If yes, notify supervisor),” and “Detainee is expressing feelings of hopelessness (nothing to look
forward to) (If yes, notify supervisor).”
58 According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a mental illness that interferes with a
person’s daily life and ability to function is defined as a serious mental illness (SMI).
59 The 11 persons diagnosed with SMIs and the 10 persons with history of self-harm were in some instances the same
person.
60 It is also critically important that corrections officials take note of directions from medical professionals and of orders
from courts. In the case of an incarcerated person on Rikers Island who took his own life in the summer of 2022, there
was a note on his securing order stating “suicide watch ordered by judge,” but jail personnel failed to put him on
suicide watch. OSI’s investigation of this matter is ongoing.

37

Third, whether or not jail and prison personnel initially rate a person as a suicide risk, they should
regularly follow up on the incarcerated person’s mental health. For example, based on OSI’s
investigations, 2 of the 27 suicides in the period seemed to follow adverse events in an
incarcerated person’s life, such as denial of the appeal in his criminal case, or a wife saying she
wanted a divorce.61 Also, certain kinds of criminal convictions and sentences seem to increase risk:
13 persons who died by suicide had been charged with serious crimes or sentenced to long terms
of imprisonment, including 8 persons charged with or convicted of murder or manslaughter, and 5
charged with or convicted of sex offenses.
Fourth, corrections officers must enforce simple rules of good order that already exist. For example,
in 2 of OSI’s investigations into the 27 suicides, corrections officers failed to enforce a rule
prohibiting incarcerated persons from obstructing the view into their cells, such as by using
cardboard to cover door windows, or sheets to cover open-bar cell doors. In those cases
incarcerated persons were able to hang themselves out of view of corrections officers, even when
the corrections officers were conducting rounds and, theoretically, looking into each cell.62
Similarly, in 3 of OSI’s investigations into the 27 suicides, corrections officers failed to conduct
rounds as required. As shown by video, officers either completely missed required rounds, or,
though they walked a corridor, failed to look carefully into the cells of the incarcerated persons.63
For example, in the case of Segundo Guallpa, an incarcerated person on Rikers Island who took his
own life on August 30, 2021 (before the 12-month period ended August 31, 2022), corrections
officers were supposed to conduct rounds every 30 minutes but allowed two periods – one of an
hour and a quarter, and another of an hour and a half – to go by without making a round when Mr.
Guallpa might have hung himself. (Officers in that case also falsified the logbooks to make it
appear that the missing rounds had been done. Four corrections officers were disciplined after Mr.
Guallpa died.)
It is an unfortunate fact that when an incarcerated person hangs himself, he can often accomplish
the act in a matter of minutes, and, once hanging, become brain dead within a few minutes more.64
Therefore, there is no guarantee that enforcing these simple rules of good order would necessarily

In some of OSI’s investigations, fellow inmates told OSI’s or other investigators they were aware of adverse events
affecting the person who took his own life, or of other severe distress expressed by the person. Although these afterthe-fact statements are to be taken with a grain of salt, having corrections officers simply talk to incarcerated persons
on a regular basis could surface potential issues and put personnel on alert for suicide risk.
62 OSI is investigating the case of an incarcerated person on Rikers Island who took his own life in the spring of 2022
and who had covered the window of the door to his cell before hanging himself. It is unknown how long he had been
hanging before he was found.
63 After a death, review of surveillance video, where it exists, will show whether corrections officers made the rounds
they indicated in their logbooks. However, OSI does not know how often jail and prison supervisors review the accuracy
of logbook entries in the absence of a death and take disciplinary action where logbook entries are falsified. If
supervisors do not do such reviews or take such action, a culture of missing rounds and falsifying logbooks could take
root, which in turn would endanger inmate safety.
64 See, for example, the case of Antonio Bradley, described above in Section 4. See Goldstein, S. (2020, December 3)
Hanging Injuries and Strangulation, Medscape, https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/826704-overview?reg=1.
61

38

have saved any specific life, but OSI believes that consistent enforcement would change the odds
and over time would save lives.

5.5 Drug Overdose Prevention in Jails and Prisons
RECOMMENDATION

New York’s jail and prison personnel should, at minimum, take five common-sense steps to
improve drug overdose prevention.
Of the 120 persons who died in jails and prisons from September 1, 2021 through August 31,
2022, 31 died from drug overdoses (including 8 suspected overdoses, pending final autopsy
reports). Of the 23 cases in which a final autopsy report was produced, the medical examiner found
intoxication by fentanyl to be the cause of death in 17 cases (including 7 cases where other drugs
contributed to the fatal intoxication), methamphetamine to be the cause of death in 3 cases,
synthetic marijuana to be the cause of death in 2 cases, and methadone to be the cause of death
in 1 case.65
Two things stand out.
First, the rate of death from drug overdoses in New York’s jails and prisons appears to be more
than double the rate for the overall United States population. According to the website of the
Centers for Disease Control, the age-adjusted death rate from drug overdoses in the United States
in 2020 was 28.3 per 100,000. (This was a marked increase from the prior year, which the CDC
attributes at least in part to the Covid-19 pandemic.) As mentioned, the total population of New
York’s jails and prisons is about 46,600. Although the sample size is small, 31 overdose deaths in
that population is a rate of about 66.5 per 100,000.
Second, of the 23 cases where a final autopsy report is available, opioids caused the deaths in 18
(17 involving fentanyl, and 1 involving methadone). The effect of opioids, even in large amounts, is
reversible when Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is timely administered.66
It is not surprising that the overdose death rate in jails and prisons exceeds that in the general
population of the country, and no one expects New York’s jail and prison personnel to find and
seize all illicit drugs that enter their institutions nor to detect and prevent all potential overdose
events. However, OSI recommends that New York’s jail and prison personnel, at minimum, take five
common-sense steps to reduce the risk of death from drug overdoses.
First, professionals with relevant training should perform an initial screening of incarcerated
persons to look for signs of drug abuse. Generally, in the county jails and NYC DOC jails the initial
screening procedure for suicide risk and for drug use or history are one and the same, and, as

OSI does not have data concerning overall drug use or possession in the jails and prisons, nor concerning overdoses
that do not result in death, as OSI receives notifications only when an event results in a death.
66 See National Institute on Drug Abuse – Naloxone Drug Facts.
65

39

mentioned above in connection with suicide screening, corrections officers rather than medical
staff generally perform the drug use screenings based on simple questionnaires.67
Second, the professionals who perform the initial screenings should have and take account of
medical records showing any history of drug abuse and other mental health issues. According to
records obtained by OSI in the course of its investigations, 14 of the 23 persons who died of
confirmed drug overdoses had documented histories of behavioral health treatment, and many
were dually diagnosed with mental illness and substance use disorders.
Although drug abuse programs in the jails and prisons are generally voluntary, thorough initial
screenings could enable staff to identify persons at risk and make focused efforts to encourage
them to attend those programs. In addition, the agencies in charge of the jails and prisons should
consider assigning those at risk of serious drug abuse to protective or supportive housing, similar to
the programs already in place for persons with serious mental illness.68
Third, whether or not a person is initially identified as likely to abuse drugs, personnel must follow
up and, where indicated, take appropriate action. For example, in 10 cases in the 12 months ended
August 31, 2022, persons who died of overdoses had previously overdosed or were found with
contraband in the course of the same term of incarceration, but the institution failed to take
effective action, such as putting them on enhanced watch or housing them in a supportive unit.
Fourth, corrections officers should be equipped with Narcan for immediate use when they find an
incarcerated person unresponsive. In 14 of the 31 overdose cases in the 12 months ended August
31, 2022, corrections officers needed to await the arrival of medical staff before Narcan was
administered to persons who had overdosed. Narcan is extremely effective in reversing the effects
of an opioid overdose, but the passage of time can reduce effectiveness – and no harm is done if
Narcan is administered to a person who is not overdosing on opioids.69
Fifth, corrections officers must enforce simple rules of good order that already exist. For example:
In a case still under investigation by OSI, an incarcerated person died of a methadone overdose
on Rikers Island in spring of 2021. Video appears to show at least one corrections officer
observing the person in an obviously intoxicated state hours before he died. Apparently in
violation of a rule, the corrections officer failed to call a medical team to the scene. Because
NYC DOC corrections officers use the same questionnaire for drug use screening as they use for suicide screening,
which includes the questions, “Detainee is displaying unusual behaviors and is acting and/or talking in a strange
manner,” and “Detainee is apparently under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
68 Information on substance use treatment programs is available at
https://doccs.ny.gov/programs?f%5B0%5D=filter_term%3A126
69 DOCCS issued a directive authorizing officers to use Narcan in instances where an overdose is suspected:
https://doccs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/09/4058.pdf. Based on OSI’s investigations, it is not clear this
authorization has been fully put into practice, as in many cases administration of Narcan awaited the arrival of the
medical team. According to the New York City Board of Correction (“NYC BOC”), corrections officers and incarcerated
persons in NYC DOC jails are supposed have Narcan available for their use whenever they suspect a person is suffering
from an overdose, but NYC BOC notes many corrections officers are not aware of the program; see pages 23-24 of
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/boc/downloads/pdf/Reports/BOC-Reports/2021-suicides-and-drug-related-deathsreport-and-chs-response.pdf.
67

40

methadone is an opioid, and because Naloxone/Narcan can be very effective at reversing an
opioid overdose, it is possible that a timely call to medical could have saved the person.
In another case still under investigation by OSI, a person died of a methamphetamine overdose
in fall of 2021 at the Albany County Jail. Officers there may have failed to perform an adequate
search of the person before putting him in a cell, and his death may have been caused by drugs
he brought into the cell.
In another case under investigation by OSI, a person died of an overdose on Rikers Island in fall
of 2021, from a drug called MDMB-4EN-PINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid. Video shows the
person and others rolling and smoking cigarettes in plain sight in a common area. Corrections
officers may have violated a rule by failing to seize obvious contraband from them.

6. OSI Data
Section 70-b requires that OSI’s annual report include, among other things, the county of each
matter investigated, and racial, ethnic, age, gender, and other demographic information concerning
persons involved. This section, and Tables A, B, and C in the Appendix provide these and other
data.
OSI’s Data Period
Section 70-b requires that OSI’s annual report be published on October 1 every year. OSI takes 30
days to collate and analyze data before the publication date, and so uses a data period ending on
August 31. The data for the current 12-month period, from September 1, 2021, through August 31,
2022, are discussed in this section and are presented in Table A in the Appendix. OSI’s first annual
report, issued October 1, 2021, analyzed data for the five-month period from April 1, 2021, the
effective date of Section 70-b, through August 31, 2021. See 2021 OSI Annual Report. An update
of the data from the first annual report is in Table B in the Appendix. Table C shows data for New
York City Department of Correction matters arising from the date Section 70-b took effect, April 1,
2021, through August 31, 2022.
OSI’s Procedures
Under Section 70-b, OSI has investigative authority and criminal jurisdiction when an officer, as
defined, has caused a death, or when there is a “question” whether an officer has caused a death.
At the time OSI is notified of an incident it is not always clear whether these three elements – a
death, a defined officer, and a causal relationship between an officer’s act or omission and the
death – are present.
Regarding the first element, there are times OSI receives a notification about a person believed to
be “likely” to die. If the person does not die, OSI will close the case when it becomes clear that the
person is going to survive and will communicate with the district attorney for the county where the
incident occurred to confirm that the district attorney will review the matter for any potential
criminal conduct.
41

Regarding the second element, there are times when OSI receives a notification involving an officer
mistakenly believed to be a police officer or a peace officer as defined in Section 70-b. For
example, OSI sometimes receives notifications of incidents where the officer involved is a federal
officer. In such cases, OSI will close the case when it confirms with objective evidence that an
officer as defined by Section 70-b was not involved.
However, the vast majority of notifications received by OSI clearly involve a death and a defined
officer, but the presence of the third element – the causal relationship between an officer’s act or
omission and the death – is not clear. In those cases, OSI does a thorough investigation to
determine whether there is reason to believe the officer caused the death. Because the third
element – causation – is not initially clear, OSI calls these investigations “preliminary
assessments,” though they often take months to complete. For example, if a person dies from
illness in a prison, OSI, in the course of its preliminary assessment, gathers evidence to determine
whether the death was caused by the neglect (“omission”) of a corrections officer. This may require
the review of many hours of video, review of handwritten logbooks and electronic logs, incident
reports, medical records, autopsy and toxicology reports, as well as interviews of corrections
officers, medical staff, incarcerated persons housed near the person who died, and the medical
examiner. At the end of the assessment, OSI may conclude that it does not find reason to believe
that a corrections officer caused the death and will close the matter.
When OSI closes a case after a preliminary assessment based on the absence of causation, OSI
sends a letter, pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Section 70-b, to the district attorney for the county in
which the incident occurred, informing the district attorney that a preliminary assessment shows
that the Attorney General does not have investigative authority or criminal jurisdiction in the matter.
At that point, in effect, jurisdiction reverts to the district attorney.
On the other hand, when OSI has a case where it is clear from the start that an officer has caused a
death, such as a shooting case, or where OSI’s preliminary assessment establishes that an officer
has caused a death, then, pursuant to Section 70-b, OSI must do one of two things: (a) present
evidence to a grand jury and obtain an indictment, or (b) issue a public report explaining why OSI
chose not to present evidence to a grand jury.70
Accordingly, Table A in the Appendix indicates the status of every matter for which OSI received a
notification in the current data period. If a matter is closed, Table A indicates whether it was closed
because: there was no death; there was no defined officer; OSI did not find that an officer caused
the death; OSI issued a published report; or OSI obtained an indictment. If a matter is open, Table A
indicates whether the matter is “pending preliminary assessment” (meaning causation is not yet
clear), or “pending investigation” (meaning causation is clear, but OSI has not yet determined
whether to present evidence to a grand jury).
Table B shows complete (including updated) data from the five-month period from April 1 through
August 31, 2021. Table C shows data from all NYC DOC matters from April 1, 2021 (the effective
date of Section 70-b) through August 31, 2022.
OSI is also required to issue a report explaining the investigation and the outcome if OSI does present evidence to a
grand jury but the grand jury declines to indict.
70

42

Selected data are discussed below.

Notifications Received and Status, Current Year and Prior Year
In the 12-month period ended August 31, 2022, agencies around the state notified OSI of 232
incidents potentially coming within Section 70-b. This is an average of close to 20 notifications per
month, which is similar to the monthly average reported in OSI’s first annual report. Of those 232
incidents, 126 were incidents in jails and prisons and 106 were incidents involving police officers.71
See Figure 1.

Fig 1: Incidents Reported to OSI
Sep 1, 2021-Aug 31, 2022
25
20

21

23
20

19

22
17

21
17

18

22
16

16

15
10
5
0

Police Cases

Incarceration Cases

Total

Of the 106 incidents involving police agencies, OSI closed 67 prior to August 31, 2022, including
the closure of
•
•
•
•
•

42 because, after a preliminary assessment, OSI did not find reason to believe that an
officer caused the death
14 because there was no death
3 because an officer as defined by Section 70-b was not involved
6 by issuing a report72
2 by presenting evidence to grand juries and obtaining indictments, which members of OSI
are now prosecuting.73

One incident occurred in a holding cell operated by police rather than a corrections agency, and we classify it as a
police case.
72 The six published reports for incidents arising in the current data period concern the deaths of Dedrick James, Brandi
Baida, Simran Gordon, Allison Lakie, Wesley Soper, and Janet Jordan. Summaries are in Section 3 above.
73 See Section 2 above for a summary of the indictments. Two indictments OSI is now prosecuting, People v. Wu and
People v. Middleton, arise from incidents in the current data period. The two other indictments, People v. Allen and
People v. Baldner, arise from incidents in 2020, which predate the effective date of Section 70-b.
71

43

Of the 126 incidents involving jails and prisons, OSI closed 71 prior to August 31, 2022, including
the closure of:
•
•
•
•

65 because, after a preliminary assessment, OSI did not find reason to believe that an
officer caused the death
3 because there was no death
2 because an officer as defined by Section 70-b was not involved
1 because the person who died was an employee of a jail, not an incarcerated person.

See Table A, which includes additional detail for every case in the current period, such as date of
death, county of occurrence, the agency involved, the type of case, and the decedent’s name, race
or ethnicity, and age.
For cases arising in the 12 months ended August 31, 2022, 27 remain open pending investigation
and 67 remain open pending preliminary assessment.
As set forth in OSI’s prior annual report, OSI received 95 notifications in the five-month period
ended August 31, 2021 and closed 70 of those matters in that period. An additional incident
occurring during that period was reported to OSI following the issuance of the first annual report, for
a total of 96 incidents in the prior reporting period. Since September 1, 2021, for matters arising
from April 1 through August 31, 2021, OSI closed an additional:
•
•

12 matters because, after a preliminary assessment, OSI did not find reason to believe that
an officer caused the death and
7 matters by issuing a published report.74

See Table B for details on every matter arising in the prior data period.
For cases arising in the five months from April 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022, 6 remain open
pending investigation, and 1 remain open pending preliminary assessment.
Two cases remain open, pending investigation, from the period prior to April 1, 2021, when OSI’s
predecessor unit conducted investigations under Executive Order 147, and OSI closed three
incidents from that period in the past 12 months with published reports.75

Police Shootings
Of the 106 notifications involving police officers in the year ended August 31, 2022, 40 were
shootings. In 12 of those incidents there was no death, in 2 incidents there was no officer defined
by Section 70-b, in 3 incidents an off-duty officer killed a person and then killed himself (murdersuicide), and in 1 incident a bystander was caught in crossfire involving police and others and it is

See Section 3 for summaries of the published reports; the seven reports on incidents in the prior data period are
those on the deaths of Tyler Green, Mark Gaskill, Jesse Bonsignore, Timothy Flowers, Christopher Van Kleeck, Steven
Leconte, and David Wandell.
75 The three published reports from the period prior to the effective date of Section 70-b concern the deaths of Jeffrey
McClure, George Zapantis, and Judson Albahm, and are summarized above in Section 3.
74

44

unclear at this time whether he was killed by a police bullet – leaving 22 incidents in which an
officer shot and killed another person.
Of these 22 shooting incidents, OSI closed 4 by issuing a report (Dedrick James, Brandi Baida,
Simran Gordon, and Allison Lakie, see Section 3 above), and 2 by obtaining indictments (People v.
Wu and People v. Middleton, see Section 2 above), which members of OSI are prosecuting. The
other 16 shooting incidents remain under investigation.
Of the 22 shooting incidents:
-

18 persons killed were male and 4 were female
9 persons killed were white, 8 were Black, 4 were Hispanic, and 1 was Asian
19 of the persons killed had a weapon (11 had firearms, 6 had knives, 2 had realistic BB or
pellet guns) and 3 of the persons were unarmed
15 of the persons killed were 18 to 34 years old
11 incidents involved officers of the New York City Police Department, and 11 involved
officers of other police agencies.

See Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, below.

Fig 2: Shooting Deaths by Race
(% based on 22 incidents, Sep 1, 2021-Aug 31, 2022)

5%
18%
36%

41%

Black

White

Hispanic

Asian

45

Fig 3: Shooting Deaths by Age
(22 incidents, Sep 1, 2021-Aug 31, 2022)
10

9

9
8
7

6

6
5
4

3

3

45-54

55 and older

3
2

1

1
0
18-24

25-34

35-44

Fig 4: Shooting Deaths by Gender
(22 incidents Sep 1, 2021-Aug 31 2022)
20

18

18
16
14
12
10
8
6

4

4
2
0
Male

Female

46

Fig 5: Shooting Deaths: Armed/Unarmed
(22 incidents Sep 1, 2021-Aug 31, 2022)

Unarmed

3

Imitation Gun

2

Knife

6

Firearm

11
0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Police Shootings and Mental Health Crises
OSI’s personnel do not include mental health professionals, but, as laypersons, our perception is
that at least 10 of the 22 persons who died in police shootings in the 12 months ended August 31,
2022 may have been undergoing a mental health crisis (or a drug or alcohol induced crisis) at the
time of the incident, including:
-

-

-

-

A person shooting a rifle from the window of a house in a residential neighborhood for no
apparent reason (see the description of the Brandi Baida case, in Section 3)
A person who called for police assistance and pointed a gun at the officer who responded76
A person setting fires in her mother’s house, who came at officers with knives in both hands
after two hours of attempted negotiation (see the description of the Allison Lakie case, in
Section 3)
A person who got out of his car, got a realistic looking BB or pellet gun from the car, and
took a shooting stance, pointing the gun officers who had stopped him for speeding
A person who called 911 to report a man with a knife, and who was the same person who
came at responding police officers with a knife, after officers attempted to negotiate with
him
A person who, after injuring his mother, came at officers with a knife and a sword, after
officers attempted to negotiate with him
A person who put a knife to his own chest, indicating he would kill himself, and then tossed
the knife in the direction of a responding officer

Unless there is a cross reference to a report described in the earlier sections of this report, the case remains under
investigation. The descriptions here of cases still under investigation should not be considered indications of the
conclusions OSI will come to when the investigations are finished.
76

47

-

A person who pulled out a knife as an officer, who had responded to her call for assistance
with a domestic incident, was talking with her
A person who had injured a mental health worker with a knife and pulled out a knife and
came at an officer responding to the earlier incident, and
A person who called 911 and said he wanted to kill police officers.

Please see OSI’s recommendation, above, in Section 5, concerning the need to train police officers
to respond to mental health crises.

Incidents in Jails and Prisons
Of the 120 deaths OSI investigated in the jails and prisons in the current data period, 78 incidents
related to DOCCS, 20 related to NYC DOC, and 22 related to county jails. See Figure 6.

Fig 6: Jail & Prison Deaths by Agency
(120 incidents, Sep 1, 2021-Aug 31, 2022)
90
80

78

70
60
50
40
30

20

22

NYC DOC

Couny Jails

20
10
0
NY State DOCCS

Of the 120 deaths, 27 were by suicide or apparent suicide, 31 were by drug overdose or suspected
overdose, 60 were due to medical emergencies, and 2 were due to violence between incarcerated
individuals. See Sections 5.4 and 5.5 above for a discussion of these data and recommendations
on suicide and overdose prevention. See Figure 7.

48

Fig 7: Jail & Prison Deaths by Cause
(% based on 120 incidents, Sep 1, 2021 - Aug 31, 2022)
2%

22%
50%
26%

Medical

Overdose

Suicide

Assault

Of the 120 persons who died in jails and prisons, 117 were male and 3 were female. None
identified as transgender or nonbinary; 4 were 18 to 24 years old, 21 were 25 to 34 years old, 29
were 35 to 44 years old, 19 were 45 to 54 years old, and 46 were 55 or older. One person was an
infant: the incident involved an incarcerated woman who gave birth.77 See Figure 8.

Fig 8: Jail & Prison Deaths by Age
(119 incidents, Sep 1, 2021-Aug 31, 2022,
not including death of 1 infant)
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

46

29
21

4

18-24

77

19

25-34

35-44

45-54

55 or older

The incident involving the infant who died during birth is not captured in the Figure 8.

49

DOCCS Deaths by Race
Of the 78 persons who died in the DOCCS system from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022, 36
were Black, 25 were white, 14 were Hispanic, and 3 were Asian. See Figure 9a; see Figure 9b for
overall DOCCS population by race for comparison.78

Fig 9a: DOCCS Deaths by Race
(% based on 78 incidents, Sep 1,
2021-Aug 31, 2022)

Fig 9b: DOCCS Population by
Race
(% based on DOCCS Aug 2022 Report)
2%
1% 1%

4%
18%
24%
46%

49%

23%

32%

Black

White

Hispanic

Asian

Black

White

Hispanic

Native American

Asian

Other

NYC DOC Deaths by Race
Of the 20 persons who died in NYC DOC custody from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022, 14
were Black and 6 were Hispanic. See Figure 10a; see Figure 10b for overall NYC DOC population
data by race.79

78
79

DOCCS population data is based on the DOCCS Incarcerated Profile Report from August 2022.
NYC DOC population data is based on the FY22 Q4 Population Demographics Report.

50

Fig 10a: NYC DOC Deaths by
Race

Fig 10b: NYC DOC Population
by Race

(% based on 20 incidents, Sep 1,
2021 - Aug 31, 2022)

(% based on NYC DOC Avg. Daily
Population)
2%
6%

4%

30%

31%

57%

70%

Black

Hispanic

Black

Hispanic

Asian

White

Other

Of the 22 persons who died in county jails outside of New York City, 10 were Black, 11 were white,
and 1 was Hispanic. Population data for county jails is maintained on the local level and therefore
not available for comparison.

7. Conclusion
In the 18 months since Section 70-b went into effect, the most consistent themes in the cases
investigated by OSI are mental illness and drug use. In jails and prisons, persons are dying by
suicide and from drug overdoses. On the street, many police responses are initiated because a
person is in a mental health crisis. Therefore it is critical that the state, corrections agencies in the
state, and police agencies in the state, thoughtfully design, adequately fund, and effectively
implement programs to reduce the risk of death due to mental illness and drug use, including
-

Effective evaluation, monitoring, and treatment of persons in jails and prisons at risk of
suicide and drug use
Effective enforcement of the rules of good order in jails and prisons
Meaningful and continuous training of police officers, 911 operators, and dispatchers to
handle cases involving persons undergoing mental health crises.

No program or combination of programs will reduce to zero the number of deaths in jails and
prisons and in police encounters due to mental illness and drug use. But the risk and the numbers
can and should be reduced. Persons – even persons committing crimes or convicted of committing
crimes – should not have to die because they are mentally ill.

51

8. Appendix

A

B

#

Date of
Death

1

9/2/2021

2

9/5/2021

3

9/6/2021

4

9/7/2021

5

9/7/2021

6

9/7/2021

7

9/7/2021

8

9/8/2021

9 9/10/2021

10 9/11/2021
11 9/13/2021
12 9/14/2021
13 9/15/2021
14 9/16/2021

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

Comments

53

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

45

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

No

27

Asian

Female

No

Suicide

Yes

31

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

24

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

61

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

50

White

Male

No

Suicide

No

41

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

62

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

3 mos.

Hispanic

Female

No

Vehicular

Yes

54

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

60
24

Black
Black

Male
Male

Yes
No

Medical
Shooting

No
No

57

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

County

Agency
DOC
(Westchester
Westchester
County)
Village of
Oneida
Yorksville PD
Onondaga
Onondaga County Sheriff
Chautauqua
Chautauqua
County Jail
Bronx

Name
Anthony
Jacobs
Nathaniel
Harvey
Angela Peng
Jose Luis
Rivera Perez

NYC DOC
Esias Johnson
DOCCS (Great
Shakim J.
Washington
Meadows)
Allah
Fulton County
Edward
Fulton
Sheriff
Fletcher
Orange
Michael
Orange
County Jail
Stevenson
Clinton
Steven D.
Clinton
County Sheriff
Murray
Apolline
MongKings
NYPD
Guillemin
DOCCS
Greene
(Coxsackie) Mark Williams
DOCCS
Erie
(Wende)
Robert Hill
Monroe
Rochester PD Dedrick James
Dutchess
Dutchess
County Sheriff Amos Domfeh

Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Closed Report issued
Pending
Open investigation

52

A

B

#

Date of
Death

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

31

Unknown

Male

No

Shooting

No

Closed

41
30

Black
White

Male
Female

Yes
No

Medical
Shooting

Yes
Yes

Closed
Closed

24

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

39

Hispanic

Male

No

Medical

No

Open

Comments
No defined
officer
Officer did not
cause death
Report issued
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
investigation

42

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

60

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

66

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

23

Black

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed No death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death

24

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

33

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

County

Agency
Name
Federal Parks
Police
Joshua Cooper
Karim
NYC DOC
Isaabdul
Auburn PD
Brandi Baida
Stephen
NYC DOC
Khadu
Suffolk County
Osiris
PD
Mercado
Adrian
NYPD
Golding
DOCCS (Five
Joseph
Points)
Ambrosio

15 9/18/2021

Kings

16 9/19/2021
17 9/21/2021

Bronx
Cayuga

18 9/22/2021

Bronx

19 9/23/2021

Suffolk

20 9/26/2021

Bronx

21 9/30/2021

Seneca

22 10/4/2021

Delaware

Walton PD

23 10/6/2021

New York

NYPD

24 10/6/2021

Monroe

25 10/8/2021

Westchester

26 10/11/2021

Kings

NYPD

Peter Tse

35

Asian

Male

No

Vehicular

No

27 10/13/2021

Kings

Jamie Liang

24

Asian

Female

No

Shooting

Yes

28 10/15/2021

Cayuga

NYPD
DOCCS
(Auburn)

38

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

29 10/15/2021

Bronx

NYC DOC

Kareem Bryan
Victor
Mercado

64

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

30 10/17/2021

Kings

Hispanic

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Dutchess

James Lopez
Michael
Wisdom

42

31 10/17/2021

NYPD
DOCCS
(Downstate)

45

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Paul Weeden
Antonio
Armstrong
Simran
Gordon

Rochester PD
DOCCS (Sing
Sing)
Corey Slattery

Closed Report issued
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Indictment
Closed issued
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death

53

A

B

#

Date of
Death

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Open

Hispanic
White

Male
Female

No
No

Vehicular
Shooting

Yes
Yes

Closed
Closed

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

Closed

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

Asian

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

Comments
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death
Report issued
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

Unknown

Female

No

Vehicular

Yes

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Hispanic
Unknown

Male
Unknown

No
No

Suicide
Shooting

Yes
N/A

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

County

32 10/19/2021

New York

33 10/19/2021
34 10/20/2021

Suffolk
Onondaga

35 10/20/2021

Orange

36 10/22/2021

Dutchess

37 10/23/2021

Niagara

38 10/24/2021

Seneca

39 10/26/2021

Queens

40 10/29/2021

Orange

41 10/31/2021

Albany

42 11/1/2021

Chemung

43 11/1/2021
44 11/3/2021

Queens
Kings

45 11/4/2021

Ontario

46 11/8/2021

Dutchess

47 11/10/2021

Nassau

Agency

Name

Age

NYC DOC
Anthony Scott
58
Suffolk County Starling DiazPD
Felipe
19
Syracuse PD
Allison Lakie
33
DOCCS
(Otisville)
Marco Ayuso
61
DOCCS
(Fishkill)
Juan Roman
61
Niagara
County Jail
Jeffrey Joyes
51
DOCCS (Five
Tyrone
Points)
Williams
41
Christopher
NYPD
Auriemma
28
NYSP,
Walden and
Joanne
Montgomery
Schields &
PD
Elizabeth Bello 52 & 35
Albany County
Sheriff
Brian Bishop
43
DOCCS
(Elmira)
Timothy Bush
56
Christian
NYPD
Gomez
33
NYPD
Unknown
Unknown
Ontario
County Sheriff John Fontaine
38
DOCCS
(Fishkill)
Bernard Hatch
81
Nassau
James
County Jail
Campbell
57

Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Closed No death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death

54

A

B

#

Date of
Death

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M
Comments
Pending
investigation
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

County

Agency

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

48 11/11/2021

Kings

Brian Astarita

65

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Open

49 11/12/2021

Rockland

Paul Waddell

65

Black

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

50 11/15/2021

Chemung

Adam Perham

38

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

Closed

51 11/15/2021

Chemung

Rickey Wells

53

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

52 11/16/2021

Dutchess

Robert Durso

52

Yes

Overdose

No

Closed

Onondaga

36

Male

No

Overdose

Yes

Closed

54 11/19/2021

Queens

62

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

55 11/21/2021

Chemung

Daniel Gibson
Joseph
Rodriguez
Ronald
McCarthy

White
American
Indian

Male

53 11/16/2021

59

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

56 11/24/2021

Oneida

Anthony Diaz

Unknown

Unknown

Male

Yes

Other

N/A

No defined
Closed officer

57 11/24/2021

Nassau

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Yes

Medical

N/A

58 11/26/2021

Saratoga

NYPD
Spring Valley
PD
DOCCS
(Elmira)
Chemung
County Sheriff
DOCCS (Green
Haven)
Onondaga
County Sheriff
DOCCS
(Queensboro)
DOCCS
(Elmira)
Marcy
Psychiatric
Hospital
Nassau
County Sheriff
Saratoga
County Sheriff

John Cranfield

68

White

Male

No

Suicide

No

59 11/28/2021

Chemung

Saroeun
Muon

33

Asian

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

60 11/30/2021

Erie

61 12/3/2021

Erie

62 12/7/2021

Franklin

63 12/7/2021

Westchester

DOCCS
(Elmira)
Erie County
Sheriff
DOCCS
(Collins)

James Ellis
Antonio
McCarty

58

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

55

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

NYSP
DOCCS (Sing
Sing)

Aaron Stark
Steven
Alleyne

41

White

Male

No

Overdose

Yes

56

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

Closed No death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death

55

A

B

#

Date of
Death

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

Comments

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

No

Medical

N/A

28

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

37

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

29

White

Male

No

Taser

Yes

20

Hispanic

Male

No

Shooting

No

38

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

32

White

Male

No

Vehicular

No

20

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

No

36

White

Male

No

Vehicular

No

County

Agency

64 12/7/2021

Bronx

NYC DOC

65 12/10/2021

Bronx

NYC DOC

Name
Thamar
Francois
Malcolm
Boatwright

66 12/14/2021

Bronx

NYC DOC

William
Brown

67 12/15/2021

Greene

Catskill PD

68 12/16/2021

Queens

69 12/16/2021

Onondaga

70 12/17/2021

Monroe

71 12/17/2021

Onondaga

72 12/19/2021

Chemung

73 12/20/2021

Kings

NYPD

Eudez Pierre

26

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

74 12/22/2021

Otsego

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Seneca

61

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

76 12/24/2021

Oneida

69

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

77 12/24/2021

Herkimer

Mark Beilby
Henry
Maldonado
Lawrence
Harris
Carson
Dobson

24

75 12/22/2021

NYSP
DOCCS (Five
Points)
DOCCS
(Mohawk)

24

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

78 12/24/2021

Clinton

Bryan Ashline

35

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Jason Jones
Raymierik
Lopez

NYPD
Onondaga
County Sheriff Paul Watkins
Monroe
County Sheriff Wesley Soper
Town of
Chatuma
Cicero PD
Crawford
Chemung
County Sheriff James Thigpen

NYSP
DOCCS
(Clinton)

Closed Not an inmate
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
investigation,
incident
Open 10/30/2021
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Closed Report issued
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
Open investigation
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death

56

A

B

#

Date of
Death

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M
Comments
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

County

79 12/25/2021

Wyoming

80 12/27/2021

Bronx

81 12/27/2021

Clinton

82 12/30/2021

Wyoming

83 12/31/2021

Oneida

Agency
DOCCS
(Attica)
NYPD
DOCCS
(Clinton)
DOCCS
(Attica)
DOCCS
(Mohawk)
DOCCS
(Southport)
Erie County
Sheriff

Name
Tyrone
Chaneyfield
Sergio
Guzman

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

25

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

52

Hispanic

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Closed

Justin Odell

28

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Closed

Alvin Yates

64

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

Derrick Lewis

65

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

Terrol Massey

32

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

Edward Bald

65

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

46

Hispanic

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

84

1/3/2022

Chemung

85

1/4/2022

Erie

86

1/7/2022

Monroe

87

1/7/2022

Queens

NYC DOC

Sean Sarker

Unknown

Unknown

Male

Yes

Stabbing

No

88

1/9/2022

Bronx

NYPD
Chenango
County Sheriff

Abdul Jallow
Brian
Lambrecht

55

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

51

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Sullivan
County Jail
DOCCS (Great
Meadows)
NYSP

James Slater
Anthony
Rivaldo
Joshua Doyle

36

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

42
Unknown

White
Unknown

Male
Male

Yes
No

Suicide
Shooting

Yes
N/A

89 1/10/2022

Chenango

90 1/13/2022

Sullivan

91 1/13/2022
92 1/15/2022

Washington
Oneida

Rochester PD Benji Martinez

Officer did not
Closed cause death
No defined
Closed officer
Pending
preliminary
assessment.
Incident was
Open 4/3/2021.
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Closed No death

57

A

B

#

Date of
Death

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M
Comments
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
investigation
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
investigation
No death
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment.
Incident was
2/2/2022;
death was
6/2/2022.
Pending
investigation
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

County

Agency

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

Ricky Mack

66

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

Oneida

Orange
County Sheriff
DOCCS
(Mohawk)

Roger Stein

59

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

95 1/20/2022

Bronx

NYPD

Yoskar Feliz

27

Hispanic

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Open

96 1/21/2022

Greene

DOCCS
(Greene)

64

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

97 1/21/2022
98 1/24/2022

New York
Albany

NYPD
Albany PD

Ronald
Drabman
Lawshawn
McNeil
Jordan Young

47
32

Black
Black

Male
Male

No
No

Shooting
Shooting

Yes
Yes

Open
Closed

99 1/25/2022

Seneca

Willie Dancy
Jermaine
Stewart

45

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Open

32

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Closed

93 1/16/2022

Orange

94 1/17/2022

100

1/28/2022

Seneca

DOCCS (Five
Points)
DOCCS (Five
Points)

101

2/1/2022

Cattaraugus

Cattaraugus
County Jail

Brett Abrams

32

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Open

38

White

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Open

102

2/2/2022

St. Lawrence

NYSP

Robert
LaRock Jr

103

2/3/2022

Kings

NYPD

Clarence Little

46

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Open

104

2/6/2022

New York

NYPD

Joley Aristhee

29

Black

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

105

2/6/2022

Kings

NYPD

Jada Rollins

18

Black

Female

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

58

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M

Agency
Video

Status

No

Open

Comments
Pending
investigation
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
investigation
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death
No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

106

2/7/2022

Onondaga

Agency
Onondaga
County Sheriff

107

2/8/2022

Dutchess

DOCCS
(Fishkill)

108

2/9/2022

Queens

NYPD

Andrew
Harrington
Jose
Rodriguez

109

2/12/2022

Erie

NYSP

James Huber

110

2/12/2022

Jefferson

111
112

2/14/2022
2/16/2022

Washington
Bronx

113

2/23/2022

Niagara

114

2/23/2022

Erie

115

2/23/2022

Westchester

116

2/24/2022

Sullivan

117

2/24/2022

Erie

118

2/26/2022

Dutchess

119

2/27/2022

Niagara

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Isaac Eames

48

White

Male

No

Incident Type
Murdersuicide

31

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Open

33

Hispanic

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

38

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Open

White

Male

No

Suicide

No

Open

White
Unknown

Male
Male

Yes
Yes

Medical
Suicide

No
N/A

Closed
Closed

White

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Closed

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

Watertown
Robert
PD
Breckenridge
40
Washington
County Jail Kenny Mallory
37
NYC DOC
Ullah Rahm Unknown
Lockport PD/
Derrick
NYSP
Holmes
21
DOCCS
(Wende)
Cecil Alves
43
DOCCS (Sing
Sing)

Steve Johnson

54

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Open

DOCCS
(Sullivan)
DOCCS
(Wende)

Keith
Woolridge

52

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Open

Eric Sykes

44

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

DOCCS (Green
Haven)
Niagara
County CF

Cory
McCollum

53

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

Leroy Cheek

35

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

59

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L
Status

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

120

2/27/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

Tarz
Youngblood

38

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

121

2/27/2022

Bronx

Black

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

2/27/2022

Dutchess

23

Unknown

Male

No

Shooting

N/A

123

3/3/2022

St. Lawrence

Maxie Suber
Michael
Becerril
Alexander
Williams

35

122

NYPD
Dutchess
County PD
DOCCS
(Riverview)

54

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

124
125

3/4/2022
3/6/2022

Dutchess
Bronx

43
19

Hispanic
Hispanic

Male
Male

Yes
No

Overdose
Shooting

Yes
No

126

3/6/2022

Orange

60

Unknown

Male

No

Medical

N/A

127

3/7/2022

Queens

NYPD

Michel
Marvens

24

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

N/A

128

3/8/2022

Dutchess

NYSP

Robin Alverez

59

White

Female

No

Yes

129

3/14/2022

Monroe

Rochester PD

Janet Jordan

35

Black

Female

No

Vehicular
Murdersuicide

130

3/14/2022

Queens

NYPD

Mohamed
Diallo

30

Black

Male

No

Medical

Yes

131

3/17/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

George Pagan

48

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

132

3/18/2022

Bronx

Herman Diaz

52

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

133

3/19/2022

Herkimer

NYC DOC
Herkimer
County Jail

Marie Soldato

39

White

Female

Yes

Medical

Yes

DOCCS (Green
Haven)
Gregory Diaz
NYPD
Luis Monsanto
Orange
County Sheriff Steven Cox

Yes

M

Comments
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Closed No death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Closed No death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
No defined
officer.
Incident was
Closed 2/26/22.
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Closed Report issued
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death

60

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L
Status

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

134

3/20/2022

Dutchess

DOCCS (Green
Haven)

Kenneth
Brown

65

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

135

3/21/2022

Dutchess

35

Asian

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

136

3/24/2022

Wyoming

57

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

137

3/27/2022

Dutchess

56

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Comments
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death

138

3/29/2022

Erie

Unknown

Male

No

Medical

N/A

Officer did not
Closed cause death

139

3/31/2022

Wayne

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

140

4/4/2022

Albany

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

141

4/6/2022

Wyoming

DOCCS
(Attica)

Thomas
Lasher

56

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

142
143

4/7/2022
4/10/2022

Kings
Kings

NYPD
NYPD

Ronald Smith
Unknown

53
Unknown

Black
Unknown

Male
Unk

No
No

Vehicular
Shooting

Yes
N/A

DOCCS
(Fishkill)

Joseph Clarke
Eduardo
Andrade

37

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Unknown

Unknown

Unk

No

Shooting

N/A

Brian Sohtz

47

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Jingzh Li

58

Asian

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

David Jones

58

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

144

4/11/2022

Dutchess

145

4/11/2022

Queens

146

4/12/2022

Dutchess

147

4/14/2022

Chemung

148

4/15/2022

Tioga

DOCCS (Green
Miguel
Haven)
Abarentos
DOCCS
Troy
(Attica)
Cartwright
DOCCS (Green
Haven)
Cedric Darrett

Erie County
Sheriff
Arthur Basher Unknown
Wayne
Vincent
County Sheriff
Mitchell
60
Tea'Shawn
Albany PD
Walker
13

NYPD
DOCCS
(Greenhaven)
DOCCS
(Elmira)
Tioga County
Jail

M

Closed No death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
Open investigation
Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Closed No death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death

61

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

M

Status

Comments

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

149

4/18/2022

Warren

150

4/18/2022

Orange

151

4/20/2022

Westchester

152

4/24/2022

Dutchess

153

4/26/2022

Oneida

154

4/28/2022

Oneida

155

4/29/2022

Dutchess

FBI
DOCCS
(Fishkill)
DOCCS
(Mohawk)
DOCCS
(Mohawk)
NYSP and
Hyde Park PD

156

4/29/2022

Clinton

157

4/30/2022

158

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Dennis Ford

66

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Ahkem Chu
Bryant
Jackson Jr.
James
Pallonetti

23

Hispanic

Male

No

Vehicular

No

28

Black

Male

No

Shooting

No

62

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Tomas Berroa
Ricardo
Maisonet

40

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

59

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Jamie Feith

34

White

Female

No

Shooting

Yes

NYSP

Jason Barnaby

47

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Queens

NYPD

Hye-Lim Baik

35

Asian

Female

No

Suicide

Yes

5/1/2022

Otsego

Otsego
County CF

38

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

159

5/2/2022

New York

58

White

Female

No

Suicide

Yes

160

5/3/2022

Oswego

NYPD
Oswego
County Sheriff

Joseph Walley
Velantina
Shafaizieva

33

White

Male

No

Suicide

No

161

5/3/2022

Schenectady

NYSP

Adam Cook
Yohannes
Bernot

25

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

162

5/3/2022

Washington

DOCCS (Great
Meadows)

Toby Smith

48

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

163

5/7/2022

Erie

NYSP

Benjamin
Wence

44

White

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Agency
Warren
County
Correctional
Village of
Suffern PD

Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
No defined
Closed officer
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment

62

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Status

25

Black

Male

Yes

Yes

20

White

Male

No

Suicide
Murdersuicide

20

Black

Female

No

Vehicular

Yes

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

164

5/7/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

165

5/8/2022

Orange

NYPD

166

5/9/2022

Kings

NYPD

Deshawn
Carter
Edward
Wilkins
Myasia
Arnette

167

5/10/2022

Bronx

NYPD

Rameek Smith

26

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

168

5/11/2022

Chemung

DOCCS
(Elmira)

Sheldon
Midlarsky

86

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

169

5/11/2022

St. Lawrence

DOCCS
(Riverview)

Lacey
Williams

54

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

170

5/13/2022

Bronx

NYPD

Billy Lee

51

White

Male

No

Shooting

No

171

5/17/2022

Bronx

Black

Female

Yes

Medical

Yes

172

5/19/2022

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Other

Yes

173

5/22/2022

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

174

5/25/2022

Unknown

Male
Male

No

Shooting

N/A

175

5/28/2022

Bronx

21

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

176

5/29/2022

Washington

59

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Name

NYC DOC
Mary Yehudah
31
DOCCS
Hipolito
St. Lawrence (Gouverneur)
Nunez
33
DOCCS
Nathaniel
Chemung
(Elmira)
Sergio
40
Joshua
Goebel,
MacArthur
Monroe
Rochester PD
Chisolm
Unknown

NYC DOC
Hudson Falls
PD

Emmanuel
Sullivan
David Barr
Greenwood

Agency
Video

No

M

Comments
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
Open investigation
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
Open investigation
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death

Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death

63

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L
Status

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

177

5/30/2022

178

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Erie

Agency
DOCCS
(Wende)

Adam Berwid

86

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

5/30/2022

Cayuga

DOCCS
(Auburn)

Edward
Plummer

61

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

179

6/1/2022

Rockland

Ramapo PD

Carrie Deas

86

Unknown

Female

No

Medical

No

180

6/1/2022

Dutchess

41

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

181

6/3/2022

Niagara

29

Black

Male

No

Shooting

No

182

6/4/2022

New York

27

Black

Male

No

Medical

Yes

183

6/4/2022

Onondaga

40

White

Male

No

Suicide

No

184

6/6/2022

Erie

185

6/7/2022

Oneida

186

6/14/2022

187

6/17/2022

DOCCS
(Greenhaven) Mark Thomas
Niagara Falls
Reginald
PD
Barnes
Anthony Troy
NYPD
James
Christopher
Solvay PD
Lannie

Alvin Hall

57

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Daniel Martin

71

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Erie

DOCCS
(Wende)
DOCCS
(Mohawk)
Erie County
Holding
Center

Sean Riordan

30

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Wyoming

DOCCS
(Attica)

Dean
Klejment

55

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Matthew
Lowery
Antonio
Bradley

52

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

28

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

188

6/17/2022

Ulster

DOCCS
(Ulster)

189

6/18/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

M

Comments
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Closed No death
Pending
Open investigation
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death

64

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

190

6/19/2022

191

M

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

Westchester

Agency
DOC
(Westchester
County)

Steven Cohen

69

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Open

6/20/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

Anibal
Carrasquillo

39

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Open

192

6/20/2022

Albany

Albany PD

Eric Frazier

55

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

193

6/21/2022

Bronx

Albert Drye

52

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

194

6/24/2022

Chemung

NYC DOC
DOCCS
(Elmira)

Ronny Torres

28

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

195

6/25/2022

Albany

Albany County
Sheriff

20

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

196

6/25/2022

Kings

NYPD

Ahliek
Leonard
Lynn
Christopher

67

Black

Female

No

Vehicular

Yes

197

6/28/2022

Kings

NYPD

Luke Ganster

26

White

Male

No

Yes

198

6/28/2022

Dutchess

DOCCS (Green
Haven)

Jarrett Frost

30

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide
Incarcerated
person violence
(stabbing)

199

6/29/2022

Onondaga

Syracuse City
PD

Michael
Brantley

43

Black

Male

No

Suicide

No

200

6/29/2022

Franklin

NYSP

Joshua Kavota

33

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

201

7/2/2022

Oneida

DOCCS
(Mohawk)

David
Connolly

70

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

202

7/3/2022

Ulster

New Paltz PD

Andrew
Kanninen

44

White

Male

No

Overdose

Yes

Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
Open investigation
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment

Yes

Comments
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment

65

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L
Status

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

203

7/6/2022

204

Name
Nicholas
Keiffer

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Genesee

Agency
Genesee
County Sheriff

26

White

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

7/9/2022

Queens

NYPD

60

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

205

7/9/2022

Kings

NYPD

Raul Hardy
Malik
Williams

19

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

206

7/10/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

31

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

207

7/10/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

Elijah
Mohammed
Shaquille
Wilson

28

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

N/A

208

7/15/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

Michael Lopez

34

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

209

7/16/2022

Chemung

DOCCS
(Elmira)

Roger Ested

63

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

210

7/18/2022

Chemung

DOCCS
(Elmira)

35

White

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

211

7/21/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

Tyler Rodkey
Raymond
Chaluisant

18

Hispanic

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

212

7/24/2022

Ulster

DOCCS
(Eastern)

Roger Pragle

71

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

213

7/25/2022

Kings

NYPD

Jamaine Smith

50

Black

Male

No

Medical

Yes

214

7/30/2022

Dutchess

DOCCS
(Fishkill)

Gregory Birch

66

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

215

7/31/2022

Franklin

DOCCS
(Upstate)

Ladale
Kennedy

41

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

M

Comments
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
Open investigation
Pending
Open investigation
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Indictment
Closed issued
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment

66

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

216

7/31/2022

Erie

DOCCS
(Wende)

Juan
Maldonado

62

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Open

217

8/2/2022

Washington

DOCCS (Great
Meadows)

Christian
Rodriguez

34

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Overdose

No

Open

218

8/2/2022

Onondaga

Onondaga
County Sheriff

Infant

Black

Female

Yes

Medical

No

Open

219

8/5/2022

Queens

NYPD

18

Black

Male

No

Shooting

N/A

220

8/8/2022

Suffolk

56

Black

Male

No

Medical

No

221

8/8/2022

Greene

40

White

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

222

8/13/2022

Oneida

Jeremy Eaton

45

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

223

8/14/2022

Westchester

DOCCS
(Mohawk)
DOC
(Westchester
County)

Patrick
Reddon

37

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

224

8/15/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

68

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

225

8/18/2022

Monroe

NYSP

21

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

N/A

226

8/19/2022

Queens

NYPD

Ricardo
Cruciani
Kron
Hathaway
Angel Lopez
Jeremy
Rosario

Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment

22
18

Hispanic
Hispanic

Male
Male

No
No

Vehicular

No

227

8/19/2022

Wyoming

DOCCS
(Attica)

Jose Cruz

55

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Ayanna Byrd
Joshua
Wilkinson

Suffolk County
PD
Bobby Morant
Christopher
NYSP
Stanton

M
Comments
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment

Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment

67

Table A. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

L

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident Type

Agency
Video

Status

228

8/20/2022

Delaware

NYSP

Devin J.
Freudenmann

42

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Open

229

8/25/2022

Bronx

NYC DOC

Michael
Nieves

40

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Open

230

8/28/2022

Westchester

NYSP

Kahseen T.
Trotter

22

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Open

231

8/28/2022

Cattaraugus

Cattaraugus
County Jail

David Foster

30

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Open

232

8/31/2022

Bronx

NYPD

Cathy Garcia

69

Black

Female

No

Vehicular

Yes

Open

M
Comments
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment.
Death was
8/25/22. OSI
notified
8/31/22.

68

Table B. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, April 1 through August 31, 2021
A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

1

4/1/2021

Bronx

MTA PD

Name
Dylon
McCluskey

33

Unknown

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

2

4/3/2021

Bronx

Abadual Gallo

Unknown

Unknown

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

3

4/5/2021

Seneca

NYPD
DOCCS (Five
Points)

Todd Branham

64

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

4

4/6/2021

Otsego

Tyler Green

23

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

5

4/7/2021

Greene

Jeremy Joseph

40

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

6

4/8/2021

New York

Derek Graves

52

Black

Male

No

Closed

4/9/2021

Nassau

Hubert Lewis

61

Black

Male

No

Medical
Following
Restraint

No

7

NYPD
Nassau
County PD

No

Closed

8

4/14/2021

Brooklyn

Irena Pekarska

52

White

Female

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

9

4/15/2021

Dutchess

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

4/19/2021

Bronx

Andrew Moore
Thomas
Braunson

36

10

NYPD
DOCCS
(Fishkill)
NYC DOC
(Rikers)

35

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

11

4/20/2021

Manhattan

Jose Muniz

31

Hispanic

Male

No

Shooting

No

Closed

12

4/26/2021

Sullivan

31

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

13

4/26/2021

Seneca

Joshua Hunter
Andrew
Jackling

43

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

14

4/28/2021

Franklin

55

White

Male

No

Suicide

No

Closed

15

4/28/2021

Saratoga

NYSP
Barry Stewart
NYSP/
Saratoga
Robert
County Sheriff
Sanders

49

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

16

4/29/2021

Dutchess

77

White

Male

No

Suicide

No

Closed

Oneonta PD
DOCCS
(Coxsackie)

NYPD
DOCCS
(Sullivan)
DOCCS (Five
Points)

Redhook PD

Nick Annas

M
Comments
Officer did not
cause death
No death
Officer did not
cause death
Report issued
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

69

Table B. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, April 1 through August 31, 2021
A

B

C

#

Date of
Death

County

17

4/30/2021

18

5/1/2021

19

5/2/2021

20

5/6/2021

21

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

Comments

67

White

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

45

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

35

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

66

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

5/6/2021

Agency
Name
Village of
Spring Valley
Robert
Rockland
PD
Berenter
NYC DOC
Bronx
(Rikers)
Richard Blake
Cattaraugus
Cattaraugus
County Jail Franklin Chase
DOCCS (Green
Dutchess
Haven)
Malik Abdullah
DOCCS
Domenick
Cayuga
(Cayuga)
Krango

64

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

22

5/6/2021

Manhattan

44

Hispanic

Male

No

Shooting

No

Closed

23

5/7/2021

37

White

Male

No

Medical

Yes

Closed

24

5/10/2021

67

White

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

25

5/11/2021

31

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

26

5/11/2021

Oswego

NYSP

32

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

27

5/12/2021

Kings

NYPD

Philip Watros
Boyce
Hayward

No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

26

Hispanic

Male

No

Shooting

Unknown

Closed

No death

28

5/14/2021

Monroe

Mark Gaskill

28

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

Report issued

29

5/18/2021

Columbia

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

Unknown

Closed

No death

5/20/2021

Suffolk

44

White

Male

No

Shooting

No

Closed

31

5/21/2021

Kings

42

Hispanic

Male

No

Medical

Yes

Closed

32

5/22/2021

Cayuga

William Greco
Jesse
Bonsignore
Angelo
DeGracia
Darrell
Swartwood

37

30

Rochester PD
Columbia
County Jail
Suffolk
County PD

45

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

Report issued
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

NYPD
Johnny Diaz
Ontario
Matthew
Ontario
County Sheriff
Chwiecko
Town of
Michael
Rockland
Clarkstown PD
Torossain
DOCCS
Michael
Washington (Washington) Schermerhorn

NYPD
DOCCS
(Cayuga)

Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

70

Table B. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, April 1 through August 31, 2021
A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

33

5/23/2021

Queens

NYPD

82

Hispanic

Female

No

Vehicular

No

Open

34

5/24/2021

Queens

46

Hispanic

Male

No

Vehicular

No

Open

35

5/29/2021

Orange

Jason Smykla

37

White

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

36

6/1/2021

Greene

NYPD
Town of
Goshen PD
DOCCS
(Greene)

Name
Lopamudra
Desai
Marcelo Palaez
&
Leonardo
Rodriguez

James LaRoche

40

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

37

6/4/2021

Kings

NYPD

67

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

38

6/4/2021

Monroe

John Greico
Timothy
Flowers

29

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

39

6/10/2021

Bronx

34

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

40

6/12/2021

Clinton

36

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

41

6/12/2021

Orange

31

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

42

6/14/2021

Greene

62

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

43

6/17/2021

Rockland

46

Hispanic

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

44

6/19/2021

Otsego

Rochester PD
NYC DOC
(Rikers)
Jose Mejia
DOCCS
Edgardo
(Clinton)
Devictor-Lopez
Town of
Christopher
Wallkill PD
VanKleeck
DOCCS
Andrew
(Coxsackie)
Gibson
Village of
Spring Valley
Victor
PD
Martinez
DOCCS
Steven
(Otsego)
Pawlowski

45

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

45

6/23/2021

Manhattan

Gary Bryant

22

Black

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

46

6/23/2021

Schenectady

NYPD
Schenectady
PD

Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death

Leon Martin

15

Black

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Closed

No death

Comments
Pending
investigation

Pending
investigation
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Report issued
Pending
investigation
Officer did not
cause death
Report issued
Officer did not
cause death

71

Table B. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, April 1 through August 31, 2021
A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

#

Date of
Death

County

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

Comments

47

6/25/2021

Unknown

27

Unknown

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

48

6/25/2021

Edwin Ortiz

56

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

49

6/26/2021

Lyle Davoy
John
Malaussen

64

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

50

6/28/2021

55

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

51

6/29/2021

Brooklyn

77

Hispanic

Female

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

52

6/29/2021

Delaware

53

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

53

6/30/2021

Clinton

34

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

54

6/30/2021

Bronx

NYC DOC
(Rikers)

Robert Jackson
Margarito
Perez

42

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

55

6/30/2021

Queens

NYPD

21

Hispanic

Male

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

56

7/4/2021

Staten Island

57

7/6/2021

Wyoming

58

7/6/2021

Clinton

59

7/6/2021

Wyoming

NYPD
DOCCS
(Attica)
DOCCS
(Clinton)
DOCCS
(Attica)

Miguel Avila

51

Hispanic

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

Louis Stoller

54

White

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

55

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

61

White

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

NYPD

Rodney Horn
Keith
Goodman
Steven
Leconte

60

7/8/2021

Brooklyn

53

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

61

7/8/2021

Manhattan

NYPD

Borkot Ullah

24

Asian

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Closed

Agency
City of
Westchester Peekskill PD
DOCCS
Erie
(Wende)
DOCCS (Five
Onondaga
Points)
DOCCS (Green
Dutchess
Haven)

NYPD
Maria Loaiza
Delaware
Philip
County Sheriff
Treadwell
DOCCS
(Clinton)
William Shafer

No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
preliminary
assessment
No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Report issued
Officer did not
cause death

72

Table B. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, April 1 through August 31, 2021
A

B

C

#

Date of
Death

County

62

7/8/2021

Nassau

63

7/10/2021

Franklin

64

7/11/2021

Wyoming

65

7/14/2021

Dutchess

66

7/15/2021

Columbia

67

7/16/2021

Nassau

68

7/19/2021

Onondaga

69

7/24/2021

70

7/25/2021

71

7/26/2021

72

7/26/2021

73

7/29/2021

74

7/30/2021 Staten Island

75

8/4/2021

76
77

D

E

Agency
Name
Rockville
Centre PD
Unknown
DOCCS
(Franklin)
Charles McGill
DOCCS
Nicholas
(Attica)
Perham
DOCCS
(Green Haven)
Hale Adler
Sarah
NYSP
Craddock
Nassau
Daniyal
County PD
Shaukat

NYSP
Charles Fadale
Quogue
Suffolk
Village PD
Justin Mendez
Cortland
Cortland
County Sheriff Casey Stockton
Chautauqua
Chautauqua
County Jail
Louis Rivera
DOCCS (Sing
Eriberto
Westchester
Sing)
Bisono
DOCCS
Clinton
(Clinton)
George Grant

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

Comments

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

No

Unknown

No

Closed

57

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

36

White

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

37

White

Male
Trans
Female

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

40

White

Female

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

24

Asian

Male

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

66

White

Male

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

22

Hispanic

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Closed

26

White

Male

No

Vehicular

Yes

Closed

65

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

27

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

60

Black

Male

Yes

Yes

Closed

Yes

Closed

NYPD

Daniel Milton

22

White

Male

No

Medical
Following
Restraint

Westchester

Yonkers PD

Jojuan Alston

42

Black

Male

No

Medical

Yes

Closed

8/6/2021

Delaware

NYSP

Roger Lynch

59

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Open

8/8/2021

Oneida

CNYPC

Jack Wright

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
investigation
No defined
officer

73

Table B. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, April 1 through August 31, 2021
A

B

C

D

#

Date of
Death

County

78

8/9/2021

Oneida

79

8/10/2021

Bronx

80

8/11/2021

Chemung

81

8/15/2021

Onondaga

Syracuse PD

82

8/18/2021

Manhattan

83

8/19/2021

Dutchess

84

8/21/2021

Dutchess

85

8/21/2021

86

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

56

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

25

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

33

White

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

Joseph Evans

67

Black

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

NYPD

Unknown

Unk.

Black

Female

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

Allan Forbes

Unknown

Unknown

Male

No

Vehicular

Unknown

Closed

Unknown

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

29

White

Male

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

8/23/2021

Brooklyn

NYPD

72

White

Male

No

Suicide

Yes

Closed

87

8/24/2021

Erie

21

Black

Female

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

88

8/24/2021

Oneida

Buffalo PD
DOCCS (MidState)

Mark Garrett
James Jewett
Jr.
Peter
Barenboim
Sequoyah
Woodberry

57

Herkimer

NYSP
DOCCS
(Fishkill)
Mohawk
Village PD

Su Kim

64

Asian

Male

Yes

Suicide

No

Closed

89

8/24/2021

Greene

NYSP

Tyler Lane

33

White

Male

No

Vehicular

No

Closed

90

8/25/2021

Putnam

Putnam
County Sheriff

George
Taranto

77

White

Male

No

Medical

Yes

Closed

91

8/25/2021

Bronx

NYPD

Malik Rahman

52

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

92

8/27/2021

Chemung

53

White

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Closed

93

8/28/2021

Dutchess

NYSP
David Wandell
DOCCS (Green
Haven)
Abel Rosas

55

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

Agency
Name
Oneida
County Sheriff Ronald Pierce
NYC DOC
Brandon
(Rikers)
Rodriguez
DOCCS
(Elmira)
David Kingsley

M
Comments
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
No death
Officer did not
cause death
No death
Officer did not
cause death
No death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death.
OSI notified
10/1/2021.
Officer did not
cause death
Report issued
Officer did not
cause death

74

Table B. Incidents Notified to the Attorney General Under Section 70-b, April 1 through August 31, 2021
A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

94

8/29/2021

Bronx

24

Hispanic

Male

No

Shooting

Yes

Open

95

8/30/2021

Bronx

58

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

Comments
Pending
investigation
Officer did not
cause death

96

8/30/2021

Rockland

NYPD
NYC DOC
(Rikers)
Village of
Spring Valley
PD

Name
Michael
Rosado
Segundo
Guallpa

19

Unknown

Male

No

Medical

No

Closed

Officer did not
cause death

Davidson
Stinfill

M

75

Table C. NYC DOC Incidents Notified to the Attorney General under Section 70-b, April 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

1

4/19/2021

Bronx

2

5/1/2021

Bronx

3

6/10/2021

Bronx

Agency
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC

Name
Thomas
Braunson
Richard
Blake

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

35

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Closed

45

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

Jose Mejia

34

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

Robert
Jackson
Brandon
Rodriguez
Segundo
Guallpa
Esias
Johnson
Karim
Isaabdul
Stephen
Khadu
Victor
Mercado

42

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

25

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

58

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed

24

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Closed

41

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

24

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

64

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed

58

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Open

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

No

Medical

N/A

28

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Closed Not an inmate
Officer did not
Closed cause death

4

6/30/2021

Bronx

5

8/10/2021

Bronx

6

8/30/2021

Bronx

7

9/7/2021

Bronx

8

9/19/2021

Bronx

9

9/22/2021

Bronx

10 10/15/2021

Bronx

NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC

11 10/19/2021

New
York

NYC
DOC

Anthony
Scott

12

12/7/2021

Bronx

13 12/10/2021

Bronx

NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC

Thamar
Francois
Malcolm
Boatwright

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

M

Comments
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
investigation
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Officer did not
cause death
Pending
preliminary
assessment

76

A

B

#

Date of
Death

Table C. NYC DOC Incidents Notified to the Attorney General under Section 70-b, April 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L

County

Agency

Name

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

William
Brown

37

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Open

Sean Sarker

Unknown

Unknown

Male

Yes

Stabbing

No

Closed No defined officer

Ullah Rahm

Unknown

Unknown

Male

No

Suicide

N/A

Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Officer did not
Closed cause death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment

Gender

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

15

1/7/2022

Queens

16

2/16/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC

17

2/27/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

Tarz
Youngblood

38

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

18

3/17/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

George
Pagan

48

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

No

19

3/18/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

Herman Diaz

52

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Medical

No

Deshawn
Carter

25

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

31

Black

Female

Yes

Medical

Yes

21

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

28

Black

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

39

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

14 12/14/2021

Bronx

M

22

5/7/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

23

5/17/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

Mary
Yehudah

24

5/28/2022

Bronx

25

6/18/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC

Emmanuel
Sullivan
Antonio
Bradley

26

6/20/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

Anibal
Carrasquillo

Comments
Pending
preliminary
assessment

77

Table C. NYC DOC Incidents Notified to the Attorney General under Section 70-b, April 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L

A

B

#

Date of
Death

County

Agency

Name

27

6/21/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

Albert Drye

28

7/10/2022

Bronx

29

7/10/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC
NYC
DOC

Elijah
Mohammed
Shaquille
Wilson

30

7/15/2022

Bronx

NYC
DOC

32

33

8/15/2022

8/25/2022

Age

Race/Ethnic
Group

Gender

52

Black

31

M

Incarcerated

Incident
Type

Agency
Video

Status

Male

Yes

Medical

Yes

Open

Black

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Open

28

Black

Male

Yes

Medical

N/A

Michael
Lopez

34

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Overdose

Yes

Bronx

NYC
DOC

Ricardo
Cruciani

68

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Bronx

NYC
DOC

Michael
Nieves

40

Hispanic

Male

Yes

Suicide

Yes

Closed No death
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment
Pending
preliminary
Open assessment

Comments
Pending
preliminary
assessment
Pending
preliminary
assessment

78