Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into the Death of Woody Smith

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 Woody Smith, who died on October 13, 2023 following an encounter with members of the Troy Police Department (TPD). 

On the afternoon of October 13, two TPD officers responded to a report of someone trespassing at a residence. When officers arrived, they found Mr. Smith leaving the residence through a window and attempted to place him in handcuffs. After a struggle on the ground, officers were able to handcuff Mr. Smith, who then started experiencing medical distress. The officers rendered first aid until EMS arrived. Mr. Smith was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released videos from body-worn cameras that two TPD 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 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: These videos contain imagery that viewers may find disturbing.