Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into the Death of Brendon Burns

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released body-worn camera footage from a member of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Brendon Burns, who died on March 20, 2023, following an encounter with law enforcement in Rochester, Monroe County.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released a video from a body-worn camera that a responding MCSO deputy was equipped with during the incident. The release of this video 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 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.

Warning: This video contains imagery that viewers may find disturbing.