On Monday, New York State Attorney General Letitia James released body camera footage of a fatal incident involving a state trooper and a 17-year-old boy in Ontario County last fall.
The incident took place on November 15, 2023, in East Bloomfield, where State Trooper Adam Latulipe responded to an anonymous tip received by the Department of Homeland Security.
The tip alleged that someone at a residence on State Route 64 had been discussing plans to kill someone.
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Acting on this information, Trooper Latulipe arrived at the location and began an investigation.
According to police reports, Trooper Latulipe initiated an interview with the 17-year-old boy on a side porch of the home.
However, the situation quickly escalated. Police stated that the teenager immediately pulled a knife and lunged at the trooper, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
The boy allegedly continued to charge at Latulipe with the knife in hand, which led the trooper to discharge his weapon, shooting the teenager.
The body camera footage, which was made public by Attorney General James, provides a visual account of the encounter.
The video, which lasts 2 minutes and 11 seconds, shows that the shooting occurred just over a minute after the door to the home was opened for the trooper.
In the video, the faces of those involved are blurred, but it shows the teenager stepping onto the porch nearly a minute after the door was answered. Trooper Latulipe is seen asking the teen to remove his hand from his pocket. The footage then shows the teenager using both hands to pull an object from his pocket.
Immediately following this action, a struggle ensued in the front yard, during which someone can be heard exclaiming, “What the f—.”
Within eight seconds of the teen reaching for his pocket, the sound of gunshots can be heard.
Following the shooting, Trooper Latulipe called for backup and ordered the teenager not to move.
The video captures a voice from inside the home asking the trooper what he shot the teenager with. Trooper Latulipe responded, “He tried to stab me.”
The same voice from the home asked again, to which the trooper replied, “Ma’am, stay right there.” The voice then inquired if an ambulance was needed, and the trooper confirmed that EMS was on the way. The video concludes shortly after this exchange.
Attorney General Letitia James confirmed that a knife was recovered at the scene of the incident.
The release of this body camera footage is part of an ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s office into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
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