The State Trooper who shot and killed a 17-year-old who lunged at him with a knife in East Bloomfield last November was justified in his actions. The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation concluded that following a thorough investigation, which included a review of body-worn camera footage, statements from involved officers, and comprehensive legal analysis, it concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s actions were justified under New York law.
According to the investigation, on the evening of November 15, a trooper went to a residence on State Route 64 in East Bloomfield to perform a welfare check following an anonymous report. When the trooper arrived, the teen’s grandmother answered the door. When the trooper told her why he was there, she called for the 17-year-old, who stepped outside with his hand in his pocket. When the trooper asked the teen to take his hand out of his pocket, the 17-year-old revealed a knife and advanced toward the trooper. In the ensuing struggle, the trooper and teenager fell to the ground. The teen then got up and charged at the trooper with the knife, and the trooper fired his service weapon in response. The 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers recovered a knife at the scene.
According to the Office of Special Investigation, under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use deadly physical force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another. In this case, the teen charged the officer with a knife. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s use of force to stop C.W. was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges should not be pursued in this matter.
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