By Hank Russell
Attorney General Letitia James released security camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Jose Francisco Escobar Vasquez, who died in March following a motor vehicle accident involving an off-duty Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) police officer in North Amityville. (Warning: This video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.)
On June 23, the AG’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released footage from nearby security cameras that captured the incident. The release of this footage follows James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.
Shortly after midnight on March 15, an off-duty MTA police officer was driving his personal vehicle on Route 110 and Francine Avenue in North Amityville when he struck and killed Vasquez. Mr. Vasquez was pronounced dead on scene.
“Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission,” said James’ office in a statement. “Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.”
James emphasized that the release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to the MTA for comment on the incident and the videos. A MTA spokesperson said the officer is still with the agency and has not been disciplined yet, pending a review.