New York Attorney General Letitia James' Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has released a report concerning the death of Nathan Scott. Scott died on March 18, 2024, following an encounter with New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in Brooklyn. The investigation included reviewing security and body-worn camera footage, interviewing involved officers, and conducting a comprehensive legal analysis.
The report concluded that it would not be possible for a prosecutor to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers' actions were justified under New York law. According to the findings, on the evening of March 18, Nathan Scott was robbed by two individuals and began chasing them down East 56th Street toward Lenox Road. Shortly after, NYPD officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert and several 911 calls reporting gunfire on East 56th Street.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers observed a man matching the shooter's description—later identified as Mr. Scott—running down East 57th Street between Remsen Avenue and East 56th Street while firing a gun. Officers discharged their service weapons at Mr. Scott and instructed him to drop his weapon. He was subsequently taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Under New York's justification law, police officers may use deadly physical force if they reasonably believe it necessary to defend against another's use of deadly physical force. In this case, officers were responding to multiple reports of gunfire when they encountered Mr. Scott actively shooting his weapon on East 57th Street. Given these circumstances and based on the evidence reviewed, OSI determined that criminal charges would not be pursued against the officers involved.