Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of James Dellea

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released police body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of James Dellea, who died on September 11, 2024 following an encounter with members of the New York State Police (NYSP) in Saratoga County. 

On the afternoon of September 11, NYSP troopers responding to a 911 call followed Mr. Dellea as he drove to and parked in a parking lot on State Route 9. The troopers approached Mr. Dellea while he sat in his car, holding a long gun. During the encounter, one of the troopers, who was off duty at the time, fired his weapon, striking Mr. Dellea. Mr. Dellea was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers recovered one long gun at the scene.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that NYSP troopers 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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