Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into the Death of Rakim Tillery

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 Rakim Tillery, who died on January 3, 2024 following an encounter with the New York State Police (NYSP) in Ramapo, Rockland County. 

On the afternoon of January 3, two NYSP troopers pulled over a car on the New York State Thruway based on a report about an incident that had taken place earlier the same day in Albany. Mr. Tillery was the driver of the car. Mr. Tillery fired a gun at the troopers, and the troopers fired their guns at Mr. Tillery. Mr. Tillery was declared dead at the scene. A gun was recovered at the scene.

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