New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened a formal investigation into the fatal police shooting of a man in Queens on April 14 following an early morning encounter with NYPD officers.
According to preliminary details released Tuesday, officers responded to multiple 911 calls around 6:21 a.m. reporting a man allegedly armed with a knife walking on 31st Street beneath the elevated train tracks.
When officers arrived, they located the man and ordered him to drop the weapon. He did not comply, and officers discharged their service weapons, striking him. The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A knife was recovered at the scene.
The incident is now under review by the Attorney General’s OSI, as required by New York State Executive Law Section 70-b. That law mandates an independent investigation anytime a police or peace officer may have caused a civilian death through action or omission, regardless of whether the individual was armed, in custody, or incarcerated.
“The facts released are preliminary and subject to change,” OSI noted in its announcement, emphasizing that a full investigation is now underway.
Further details about the man’s identity, the number of officers involved, and the events leading up to the shooting have not yet been released.
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