NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigations (OSI) today released a report on the death of Rochester’s Dedrick James. After a thorough investigation, including interviews with officers and James’ grandmother who was at the scene, and a review of crime scene evidence and ballistics tests, OSI concluded that the evidence established that James died of self-inflicted injuries. I was. There was a gunshot wound to the chest when members of the United States Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force (USMS Task Force) attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant for allegedly assaulting his infant son.
In December 2020, in the town of Marion, Wayne County, the New York State Police (NYSP) opened an investigation into injuries suffered by James’s 2-year-old son. The NYSP interviewed James twice during the months-long investigation and, based on those interviews, testimony from the child’s mother, and other evidence, arrested James in July 2021. A warrant was issued to For several weeks, law enforcement made multiple attempts to arrest Mr. James, but were unable to locate him.
NYSP investigators called Mr. James numerous times and visited the Rochester address provided by Mr. James, but received no response. The NYSP obtained an arrest warrant from the Mariontown Attorney General, charged Mr. James with second-degree assault, and referred him to his USMS task force in Rochester to locate and arrest Mr. James. USMS task forces receive arrest warrant referrals from participating task force member agencies for cases limited to serious felonies, including second-degree assault.
On September 15, 2021, multiple USMS task force officers from multiple agencies, including the USMS, NYSP, and the Rochester Police Department (RPD), made arrests based on observations that indicated Mr. James was at a Rochester address at the time. For 6 went to the Vineland Terrace residence. Mr. James. Several policemen knocked on the front door and Mr. James’ grandmother answered. Mr. James came out of his bedroom and approached the officers, but when he was told he was under arrest, he ran into the bathroom. NYSP Agent Uratowski, RPD Officer Baker, and USMS Deputy Marshal Smith took him to the bathroom, where Agent Uratowski attempted to restrain Mr. James from behind in a bear hug. The officer and Mr. James fell into the bathtub together. Mr. James had a gun in his hand and aimed it at Agent Uratowski’s head. A brief struggle to disarm Mr. James ensued and the gun exploded, delivering a fatal blow to Mr. James’ chest.
Evidence technicians who arrived at the scene after the incident concluded that none of the officers present released their weapons. A Smith & Wesson .380 pistol was recovered from the scene, and after a ballistics test and an autopsy by the coroner, it was concluded that Mr. James had died from a single bullet fired from the recovered firearm.
Based on the available evidence, OSI determined that prosecutors could not disprove the officers’ actions. New York law allows police officers to use physical force to arrest a person as reasonably necessary. In this case, none of the officers used lethal physical force against Mr. James. was.
At the time of this incident, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently changed its policy to allow members of the USMS Task Force to wear BWCs, but it had yet to be fully implemented. The BWC is integral to thorough and impartial investigations and promotes transparency, accountability and safety for all involved. OSI encourages DOJ and USMS to ensure full implementation of the BWC by Task Force Officers without delay.
“My office is committed to conducting a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into all cases we undertake, including a thorough review of this incident,” he said. Attorney General James“We are committed to the use of body-worn cameras by all law enforcement members to support their efforts to maintain the highest standards of safety, impartiality, and accountability. We have consistently recommended that the USMS Task Force and its member agencies, including the Rochester Police Department and the New York State Police, take immediate action to equip all officers with body-worn cameras. increase.”
