By Hank Russell
Attorney General Letitia James released body-worn camera footage from five Nassau County police officers who were involved in the shooting of a motorist in Massapequa this past fall. (Please note: Some people may find the content in these videos disturbing.)
“Pursuant to Executive Law Section 70-b, the New York State Attorney General investigates and, where warranted, prosecutes offenses in connection with deaths caused by police officers and certain peace officers, including corrections officers. These cases are handled by the Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI),” the AG’s office stated on its website. “OSI’s primary objective is to fairly and thoroughly investigate these incidents. It also seeks to provide transparency to the public and strengthen the public’s trust in these matters.”
On September 20, 2024, officers with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Freeport Police Department, and the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) were pursuing a vehicle driven by Jeremy Bennett through Queens and Nassau counties. The pursuit ended when Bennett’s car came to a stop on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa. During the ensuing encounter, officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Bennett. Mr. Bennett was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that officers were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.
State law requires the OSI to assess every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.
James emphasized that releasing this footage does not indicate 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.