New York Attorney General Letitia James has taken a step towards transparency by releasing body-worn camera footage from the investigation into the death of Emilson Joan Ordoñez-Banegas, who died after an encounter with Suffolk County Police Department officers in Centereach, Suffolk County on July 13. According to the Attorney General's Office, this footage is part of an ongoing investigation conducted by the Office of Special Investigation (OSI), under a directive by Attorney General James, and aims at strengthening public trust through increased transparency.
The incident began early in the morning when officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault with a knife, upon arrival they found an individual suffering lacerations and as EMTs provided aid Mr. Ordoñez-Banegas approached, wielding what appeared to be a knife, this led to an SCPD officer discharging their service weapon, resulting in Mr. Ordoñez-Banegas's death and a knife was later recovered at the scene. It's the OSI's responsibility, noted by the Attorney General's Office, to assess incidents where a police officer meets circumstances which may have led to someone's death, and this can regard incidents both on and off duty, with armed or unarmed subjects in confinement or not.
The release, which comes with a warning for the disturbing nature of the content, is explicit that it should not be taken as an opinion on anyone's guilt or innocence, nor does it suggest any particular criminal charges should or will be filed. The OSI works under the guidelines of New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, which dictates that an assessment followed by a full investigation is warranted when an officer’s act or omission may have been the cause of a death.
