By Hank Russell
New York Attorney General Letitia James today released police body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Taiquell Woodson, who died following an encounter with members of the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) in Bay Shore.
(Warning: This video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.)
According to the attorney general’s office, in the morning of February 17, SCPD officers responded to reports of an incident at a residence on Udall Road in Bay Shore. When the officers arrived, Woodson opened the front door holding a knife and a baton and slashed one of the officers with a knife. A second officer then attempted to use his taser on Woodson and a third officer fired his service weapon, striking Woodson, who was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a knife and a baton at the scene.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released videos from body-worn cameras that the SCPD officers were equipped with during the incident. The release of these videos follows James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office in the course of an OSI investigation be released to the public in order to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.
Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.
James emphasized that this footage does not determine the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to the SCPD. They had no comment.
In a statement, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said, “The decision by NYS Attorney General Tish James to release the video of this disturbing incident shows that the actions taken by our police officers were more than justified. The only reason we did not lose this officer is due to his protective vest and training. I’m proud to support our men and women in law enforcement who are keeping Suffolk County a safer place to live.”