The New York Attorney General’s Office has made public the body camera footage capturing a deadly encounter in Bay Shore, where Taiquell Woodson, wielding a knife and baton, assaulted a police officer at a residence on Udall Road. The video shows the sequence of events where, after Woodson’s attack, one officer deployed a Taser, followed by another officer discharging his firearm, with at least nine shots being fired.
During the incident, Woodson was fatally shot, and an officer sustained multiple stab wounds but was protected by his bulletproof vest. This confrontation arose from a response to a domestic disturbance call, and the release of the video is part of an ongoing investigation into the use of force by the officers involved.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine defended the officers’ actions, emphasizing the justification of their response due to the imminent threat posed by Woodson. Similarly, Lou Civello, President of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association, supported the officers, stating that their actions prevented a potential murder of a police officer.
However, civil rights attorney Frederick Brewington raised concerns over the extent of force used, questioning whether the number of shots fired was excessive under the circumstances. Despite the video’s earlier leak, the investigation into the incident and the leak itself by Suffolk police’s Internal Affairs Bureau remains unresolved.
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