New York State Attorney General Letitia James has released body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Mark Bemis.
Bemis died on June 18, 2025 following an encounter with members of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that deputies were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows 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.
On the afternoon of June 18, Sheriffs deputies responded to a house in Mina after receiving a 911 call reporting a domestic incident. Upon arrival, deputies encountered Bemis, who was standing outside the house by the open garage, holding a long gun. Bemis and the deputies exchanged gunfire, and Bemis was struck and killed. Deputies recovered a shotgun at the scene.
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 AG’s office said 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.
Warning: This video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.
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