Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Courtney Gordon

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 Courtney Gordon, who died on December 3, 2023 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Queens. 

On the morning of December 3, NYPD officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault in progress at Beach 22nd Street in Far Rockaway. Upon arrival, officers encountered Mr. Gordon outside the residence and attempted to speak with him. Mr. Gordon, who was holding a knife, charged at the two NYPD officers and injured them. An officer discharged his weapon in response, striking Mr. Gordon. Mr. Gordon was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a knife at the scene.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released videos from body-worn cameras that the NYPD 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. 

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