Body camera footage from the NYPD officers involved in the fatal shooting of Mark Kelly in East Harlem this past August has been made public by New York Attorney General Letitia James, as part of her office's continued investigation into the incident. The footage was obtained and released with the aim of increasing transparency and fostering public trust in such investigations, in accordance with James' directive.
The encounter with 34-year-old Mr. Kelly occurred outside of 1875 Third Avenue, where NYPD officers, responded to a report of a man with a gun. At approximately 12:33 a.m. on August 25, Kelly was shot by police and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. A loaded gun was recovered at the scene, according to the Attorney General's Office.
The footage release is part of the Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) protocol, under New York State Executive Law Section 70-b. The law mandates that OSI reviews any case in which a police officer or peace officer might have caused a death, whether through action or inaction, regardless of the officer's duty status or the armament of the deceased.
Attorney General James made it clear that this release of footage does not insinuate any judgments on the culpability of the officers involved nor does it suggest the outcome of the ongoing investigation. "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," stated the Attorney General's Office. The full investigation by OSI is still in progress, and further details will be uncovered as it advances.
