The Office of Special Investigation announced April 14 that it would not pursue criminal charges against the officers involved in the October 5, 2025 death of Royston Bacchus, who was shot by police on Coventry Road in Brooklyn. The agency issued a "Notification of Investigative Findings" stating that the evidence would not support a conviction at trial for the use of deadly physical force.
According to the investigation, NYPD officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 9:11 a.m. at a residence on East 86th Street in Brooklyn and encountered Bacchus exiting the building. Officers pursued Bacchus on foot to Coventry Road, where he stopped running while holding a gun. Body-worn camera footage captured officers repeatedly commanding Bacchus to drop the weapon, with Bacchus responding "Shoot me" while continuing to hold the gun before an officer fired, striking and killing him.
The investigation found that officers recovered a gun at the scene, and the entire incident was documented on officer body-worn camera footage. OSI indicated that a final Investigation Report will be issued at a later date, following standard protocol for cases where investigative findings are announced before the comprehensive report is completed.
The case falls under New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, which requires OSI to assess every incident where a police or peace officer may have caused a death through an act or omission, regardless of whether the officer was on or off-duty and whether the deceased was armed or unarmed. OSI conducts full investigations when its initial assessment indicates an officer may have caused a death.
The Office of Special Investigation, part of Attorney General Letitia James' office, was established to provide independent oversight of police-involved deaths throughout New York State. The unit operates under a statutory mandate to investigate and, when appropriate, prosecute cases involving law enforcement officers.
This case represents the type of incident that has driven calls for police accountability and transparency in recent years. The availability of body-worn camera footage provided crucial evidence in OSI's determination, highlighting the role of video documentation in modern police oversight investigations.