New York Attorney General Letitia James has released video related to the two teens killed by Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputy John Rosello last week in DeWitt while he investigating a complaint of suspicious activity.
The footage comes from the resident who reported the suspicious activity and appears to show the deputy firing at the vehicle.
There is no body camera footage of the incident.
In a statement, Sheriff Tobias Shelley said, “As I stated then and will again, I support Deputy Rosello. I also support our legal process in this country and my office will continue to corporate [sic] with the Attorney General’s Office in any way we can.”
On September 6, 17-year-old Dhal Pothwi Apet and 15-year-old Lueth Mo, both of Syracuse, were shot by Deputy Rosello after allegedly trying to run the deputy over in a stolen vehicle on Danzig Ave around 6:30a.
After being shot, they were able to flee in the car but later crashed on Mooney Ave shortly before 7:00a. Upon arrival at the crash, a sergeant found one person dead and attempted life-saving measures on the second but was ultimately unsuccessful.
In accordance with New York law, the state Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into the incident.
The video can be viewed on the Attorney General’s website.
The New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement from assistant field director Deka Dancil:
“The Onondaga County Sheriff’s killing of Dhal Pothwi Apet and Lueth Mo is as tragic as it is troubling. These two teenagers should still be alive. It is clear from the footage that the officer needlessly escalated to fatal force, and did so with a rapidity that is too readily deployed against young Black New Yorkers. As community members channel their grief into action and rally to demand justice, we call on city officials to respect their right to protest.
“We welcome the Attorney General’s investigation, which must include reviewing the Onondaga County Sheriff’s office’s excessive force and minors’ policies, revealing all body-worn camera footage, investigating the failure to record portions of the interaction, and holding officers accountable for wrongdoing. Members of the Syracuse community have a right to know the misconduct history of the officers present, and what other reckless behavior these officers have carried out whether on camera or not.”
