By Letitia James
Photos: Office of New York Attorney General
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released police body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Bashe McDaniel, who died on December 29, 2023 following an encounter with members of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Police in Queens.
On the evening of December 29, two MTA officers were searching for an individual on Sutphin Boulevard in Queens following a report of an alleged sexual assault. The officers spotted Mr. McDaniel, who appeared to be wearing the same clothing that was described in the report. As the officers were attempting to handcuff Mr. McDaniel, he fired a gun. The officers discharged their service weapons in response, striking Mr. McDaniel. Mr. McDaniel was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a gun at the scene.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released videos from body-worn cameras that the MTA officers were equipped with during the incident. The release of these videos follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office in the course of an OSI investigation be released to the public in order to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.
Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.
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.
