Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Eric Davis

January 21, 2026

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today released body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Eric Davis, who died on December 19, 2025 following an encounter with members of the Rochester Police Department (RPD) in Rochester, Monroe County.

At approximately 10:23 p.m. on December 19, two RPD officers responded to a house in Rochester following a 911 call reporting a man attempting to break in. Two officers saw Mr. Davis standing at the side of the house and told him to show his hands. Mr. Davis fired at the officers with a handgun, striking them, and at least one of the two officers fired at Mr. Davis.

Mr. Davis fled on foot. A third officer saw him a few blocks away from the house and told him to stop and show his hands. Mr. Davis fired a gun at the officer, striking him, and the officer fired at Mr. Davis. A fourth officer arrived and ordered Mr. Davis to get on the ground and fired at him. Mr. Davis was struck by gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers recovered a handgun near Mr. Davis, at the scene.

The three officers and a civilian who sustained injuries during the encounter were hospitalized and have since been discharged. The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General's Office released footage from four body-worn cameras that officers were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James' directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI's assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.

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