Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Ali Ali

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 Ali Ali, who died on September 18, 2024 following an encounter with members of the New York State Police (NYSP) in Woodbury, Orange County.

On September 18, NYSP received information that Mr. Ali was wanted in New York City for an alleged assault and was traveling in a stolen vehicle. At approximately 5:35 a.m., troopers spotted the stolen vehicle driving on the New York State Thruway in Orange County and attempted to pull the vehicle over. Mr. Ali continued driving until he collided with another vehicle. Mr. Ali then fled the scene on foot and ran into the nearby woods. At approximately 1:51 p.m., troopers spotted Mr. Ali in a wooded area near Trout Brook Road. Mr. Ali allegedly had a knife in his hand and moved toward the troopers. One trooper discharged his service weapon, striking Mr. Ali. Mr. Ali was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers recovered a knife at the scene.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that troopers were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public 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. 

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