New York Attorney General Letitia James has released body-worn camera footage from the investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by Monroe County sheriff's deputies at a Henrietta motel.
Gregory Kase died Aug. 9 after deputies responding to a 911 call encountered him in a motel bathroom, according to preliminary information released by the attorney general's Office of Special Investigation.
Deputies arrived at the room at 4:08 p.m. and entered, where the office said they found Kase holding a knife. Deputies directed him to drop it, but investigators said he did not comply and moved toward them with the knife.
The deputies fired their service weapons, striking Kase, the office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and officers reported recovering a knife there.
The released footage came from body-worn cameras that captured the encounter. James' office warned that the videos contain material some viewers may find disturbing.
The attorney general has directed that camera footage obtained during Office of Special Investigation cases be made public to increase transparency and public trust. The office said releasing the recording does not express an opinion about whether anyone is guilty or innocent or whether criminal charges should be filed.
Under state Executive Law Section 70-b, the office assesses incidents in which a police or peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused a person's death through an action or omission. The law applies whether an officer was on or off duty and whether the person who died was armed, unarmed, in custody or not in custody.
When the initial assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, the office conducts a full investigation. The investigation into Kase's death remains ongoing, and the source announcement did not identify a timetable for its completion.
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