Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into the Death of Todd Novick

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 Todd Novick, who died on December 24, 2023, following an encounter with the Rochester Police Department (RPD). On the morning of December 24, RPD officers responded to a street in Rochester and encountered Mr. Novick, who they pursued when he ran away. During the chase, an officer opened fire after Mr. Novick displayed what appeared to be a gun. Mr. Novick was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released a video from a body-worn camera that a RPD officer 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.