25°
It happened on Friday, March 27, at around 5 p.m.
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler and City of Newburgh Police Chief Douglas Solomon released images, including the one above, from a body-worn camera that show the man, in his mid 20s, brandishing a pistol in the vicinity of 40 Williams Street as he fought with City of Newburgh police officers.
The man was wanted for questioning in connection with a shooting that occurred on Thursday, March 26 in the area of Benkard and Williams Street, Hoovler said.
A review of body-worn camera and street cameras shows that when officers approached the man, he displayed the silver handgun and began fighting with officers, striking one of the officers in the head with the handgun, Hoovler said.
During the encounter the man discharged the pistol and City of Newburgh Police Officers fired their weapons, according to Hoovler.
One City of Newburgh Police Officer was taken to the hospital and treated for a gunshot wound, as well as injuries to his head.
After the armed man was shot, City of Newburgh Police Officers attempted CPR.
However, after transport to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment, the man was subsequently pronounced dead.
"To ensure public confidence in the integrity of the investigation stills from a portion of one of the officer’s body-worn camera footage is being released to the media," Hoovler said.
“Normally in an investigation of this type of incident we would not be releasing images this early in the investigation,” Hoovler added. “However, to allay community concerns, which quite frankly have been stoked by misinformation coming from a city official, we are releasing these images showing the armed man discharging his gun.”
In 2015, the District Attorney’s Office and all Orange County police chiefs adopted a protocol to be used when police officers use deadly physical force that results in death or serious physical injury to a suspect or bystander.
The protocol designates the Orange County District Attorney’s Office as the “lead agency” in an officer-involved fatality investigation and provides that the
New York State Police will be contacted and will be asked to assist the District Attorney in the investigation.
The New York State Police are to process the scene of the incident to preserve all forensic evidence and will perform forensic analysis.
That protocol is designed to enhance public confidence in the outcome of officer-involved fatality investigations, by removing the “involved police agency” from the investigation.
At the request of and with the consent of the City of Newburgh Police Department, the protocol was activated in this investigation.
New York State Police officers responded to the scene of the shooting and have recovered evidence and interviewed witnesses.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Beekman-Poughquag and receive free news updates.
