Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Anthony Troy James

September 23, 2025

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James' Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Anthony Troy James, who died on June 4, 2022 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Harlem. After a thorough investigation, which included interviews with civilian witnesses and involved officers, review of body-worn camera and security camera footage, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges are not warranted in this case.

Between 1:50 a.m. and 1:55 a.m., NYPD officers witnessed Mr. James behaving erratically in the area surrounding the intersection of West 148th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Officers witnessed Mr. James running between cars and attempted to restrain Mr. James to put him in handcuffs. Shortly after 2 a.m., a physical struggle ensued, during which Mr. James was pushed up against the hood of a parked car and yelled that he could not breathe. At 2:03 a.m., once officers secured the handcuffs, Mr. James fell to the ground. Mr. James remained conscious and was talking, so officers sat him upright in the street. Between 2:03 a.m. and 2:31 a.m., officers continued to reposition Mr. James while waiting for an ambulance. At one point, Mr. James seemed to fall unconscious, and an officer made increasingly frequent and urgent calls for an ambulance. At 2:31 a.m., officers found Mr. James was no longer breathing and began chest compressions, and shortly after, administered Narcan. At 2:38 a.m., an ambulance arrived and took Mr. James to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that morning.

Under federal and New York state law, police officers have the authority to detain a person when they pose an immediate danger to themselves or others, or when a person's behavior demonstrates a need for urgent action. In this case, officers had a reasonable basis to restrain Mr. James because he was behaving erratically and acting in a way that was dangerous to himself or others. After officers placed Mr. James in handcuffs, they continued to reposition him in an attempt to prevent potential injury, and administered Narcan to treat a potential overdose. There is no evidence to suggest that the officers' attempt to restrain Mr. James led to his death.

According to the autopsy report, an interview with the medical examiner, and the opinion of an independent expert retained by OSI, although the cause of death could not be precisely determined, there was no evidence that any act or omission of a police officer contributed to Mr. James's death.

Under these circumstances, based on the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers caused Mr. James' death or committed a crime, and OSI determined that criminal charges could not be pursued in this matter.