Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Christian Emile

July 25, 2024

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today released police body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its 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. Mr. Emile 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 of these videos follows Attorney General James' directive that camera footage obtained by her office in the course of an OSI investigation be released to the public in order to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI's assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.

Warning: This video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.