(WNY News Now) – Buffalo, NY – The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) is probing the death of a civilian who passed away on August 15, 2023, after an incident at the Erie County Holding Center (ECHC) in Buffalo on August 8, 2023.
On August 8, 2023, a person in custody at ECHC appeared to be having a seizure. After receiving assistance from members of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), the person became physically combative, so the ECSO members held the person in a prone position to handcuff him. When the person stopped responding, the ECSO members again attempted to treat him before he was taken to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead a week later, on August 15, 2023.
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.
These are preliminary facts and subject to change.
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