State investigators concluded they will not pursue criminal charges following the police shooting death of a man outside a Queens precinct last year.
The New York State Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation released its report Friday on the death of Emil Williams, who died Feb. 18 after an encounter with New York City police officers at the 111th Precinct. The office said prosecutors would not be able to disprove that the officers’ actions were legally justified.
According to the report, the incident unfolded around 6:40 p.m. when Williams walked up to the precinct entrance holding a firearm. An officer stationed outside shined a flashlight on him and saw the gun raised and pointed in the officer’s direction.
The officer took cover behind a parked police vehicle, radioed for assistance, and repeatedly ordered Williams to drop the weapon. Three additional officers responded to the call and also gave commands for Williams to put the gun down.
Investigators said Williams did not comply with those commands. All four officers fired their service weapons, striking him. Officers recovered a firearm at the scene, and Williams was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The attorney general’s office reviewed body-worn camera footage, security video, conducted interviews with officers and a civilian witness, and completed a legal analysis under New York’s justification law.
Under state law, police may use deadly force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force. The report states that because Williams approached the precinct with a gun, pointed it at an officer, and ignored repeated commands to drop it, prosecutors could not disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers’ actions were justified.
Based on those findings, the Office of Special Investigation determined criminal charges would not be pursued.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].