The state office that reviews deaths at the hands of police has effectively cleared the NYPD officers who shot and killed Royston Bacchus in Brooklyn, saying criminal charges are not likely to stick.
On April 14, 2026, New York’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced that its Office of Special Investigation (OSI) had issued a formal notification on the October 5, 2025 shooting. The notice concludes that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers’ use of deadly force was justified under New York law, which for now closes OSI’s criminal investigation. A full written Investigation Report is still promised after internal review. Office of the Attorney General
What OSI Found
According to the OAG’s summary of its probe, the incident started around 9:11 a.m. on October 5, when officers responded to a 911 call at a residence on East 86th Street in Brooklyn. As officers arrived, Bacchus came out of the building and took off on foot. Police pursued him to Coventry Road, where he stopped while holding a gun.
The notification says officers repeatedly ordered Bacchus to drop the weapon. Instead, according to OSI, Bacchus replied, “Shoot me,” before one officer fired his service weapon and struck him. A gun was recovered at the scene, and body-worn camera footage captured the encounter.
Based on that evidence and the applicable law, OSI wrote that “a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers' use of deadly physical force was justified under the law.” Office of the Attorney General
Family Reaction And Unanswered Questions
Even as OSI signals it will not seek criminal charges, Bacchus’s family and local officials are still demanding answers about what happened that morning and what came after.
In the days following the shooting, relatives and neighborhood leaders held a vigil and called for the release of the body camera footage, pushing for clarity about both the confrontation and the medical response, according to News 12 Brooklyn. Council Member Chris Banks, Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman and State Senator Roxxane Persaud joined the family, who raised questions about why Bacchus was taken to a different hospital and whether EMS took too long to arrive. Bacchus’s aunt told the outlet she would “not get the hugs I have from him all the time.”
Local coverage last fall also highlighted the family’s push for more transparency around the shooting and its aftermath. family’s call for transparency
What The Notification Means
Under New York Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI is required to investigate any death involving police officers and then either bring evidence to a grand jury or issue a written Investigation Report that explains why criminal charges are not being pursued.
When OSI believes the legal conclusion is clear before that full report is completed, it can issue a Notification of Investigative Findings, which is what happened here. The office’s policy also says it will meet with the deceased person’s family before publicly announcing its findings, and that the full Investigation Report will be posted after internal review. Office of the Attorney General
Local Context And Next Steps
The OSI notification wraps up the criminal investigative phase for now, but it does not prevent potential civil lawsuits or other types of review. Advocates and relatives are still pushing for the full body camera footage and a closer look at the emergency response.
Local outlets picked up the April 14 notification, including Black Star News, while earlier coverage of the October shooting and community reaction appeared in fall neighborhood reporting and other local media.
For now, the notification stands as OSI’s official legal conclusion about the shooting. The Attorney General’s office has reiterated that a full Investigation Report will be released once its internal review is complete, which is expected to provide the most detailed public account of the evidence and OSI’s reasoning.
