New York Attorney General Letitia James' Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has released a report regarding the death of Qian Adams, who died in a motor vehicle collision on December 11, 2023. The incident involved a member of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) in Syracuse.
The investigation included reviewing video footage from nearby security and body-worn cameras, conducting collision reconstruction, and performing comprehensive legal analysis. OSI concluded that it would not be possible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer involved committed a crime. Consequently, no criminal charges will be pursued.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight when an SPD officer was responding to a theft report. The officer was traveling southwest on West Bear Street and turned left onto Liberty Street, where he struck Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams was wearing dark clothing and riding an e-bike with a small LED light at the time of the collision. He was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead.
Under New York law, police officers responding to emergencies cannot be charged with crimes unless they act recklessly or intentionally. Manslaughter in the Second Degree requires evidence showing that an officer consciously disregarded a substantial risk of death and deviated grossly from reasonable conduct standards.
In this case, evidence did not establish that the officer acted negligently or recklessly. The officer obeyed speed limits, driving between 29 to 35 MPH in a 40 MPH zone, without any indication of speeding or dangerous driving behavior. There were no signs of impairment by drugs or alcohol or distractions such as texting.
Although there is no reason to believe impairment played a role in this incident, OSI recommends training patrol officers and supervisors in administering Portable Breath Tests (PBT) and field sobriety tests for future incidents involving police officers.