New York Attorney General Letitia James has released police body-worn camera footage as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Christian Emile, who died on May 12, 2024, following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Brooklyn.
At approximately 1:18 a.m. on May 12, NYPD officers encountered Mr. Emile armed with a gun in front of 5211 Church Avenue. During the encounter, the officers discharged their firearms, striking Mr. Emile. He was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Officers recovered a firearm at the scene.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released security camera video and video from a body-worn camera that one NYPD officer was equipped with during the incident. The release follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office in OSI investigations be made public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust.
Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or peace officer, including corrections officers, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under this law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed and may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI conducts a full investigation.
The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion regarding guilt or innocence in any criminal matter nor does it indicate whether any individual will be charged with a crime.
Warning: This video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.