ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Fifteen people have died after contact with local law enforcement in the last five years, and by law, every case goes to the state attorney general.
Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean of News10NBC went through the 15 cases listed on the AG’s Office of Special Investigations and found that not a single officer, deputy or trooper has ever been charged in these cases.
The list includes the shooting of a deaf man with a knife inside a Henrietta hotel in August and the Monroe County deputy shooting of Greg Kase.
The Rochester police shooting of Eric Davis last year is still open, along with the Kase case. Of the remaining 12 cases, only two were ruled justified by the attorney general.
Those two cases were the shooting death of Akintunde Campbell last year and the death of Timothy Flowers five years ago.
Most cases “would not be able to disprove…”
In most cases, the attorney general’s office used language like it “would not be able to disprove” that the shooting “was justified” at a trial.
“So the fact that they declined to prosecute doesn’t mean there wasn’t a death, it just means they’re not going to be able to prove that case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Greg Rinckey, founding partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC, said.
“And we have to remember – Monday morning quarterbacking after where that cop is at that split second when someone is either coming at them or they fear their life is in danger is a very dangerous thing to do,” Rinckey said.
