Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Issues Notification of Investigative Findings Regarding Investigation into the Death of Bruce Boyd

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) is today issuing a Notification of Investigative Findings regarding the investigation into the death of Bruce Boyd, who died on April 4, 2025 following an encounter with members of the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) in Brentwood, Suffolk County. Upon completion of the investigation into Mr. Boyd’s death, OSI has concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ use of deadly physical force was justified under the law. A final Investigation Report will follow.

About the Incident
At approximately 12:07 p.m. on April 4, SCPD officers reported to a house in Brentwood in response to a request for a wellness check. When officers arrived, they knocked on the door but got no answer. A neighbor approached from across the street and put Mr. Boyd’s wife, who was at work, on the phone with an officer who told her the police were at her house to check on her husband. The officers waited for Mr. Boyd’s wife to arrive back at the house.  

When Mr. Boyd’s wife arrived, she opened the front door of the house and walked in, then ran out of the house moments later. Officers backed across the front lawn as Mr. Boyd emerged from an interior hallway covered in blood and holding a knife in each hand. Mr. Boyd exited the house with the knife in his left hand raised above his head and ran across the front lawn toward one officer, as officers repeatedly called Mr. Boyd’s name and instructed him to drop the knife. When Mr. Boyd was within a few feet of one officer, holding the knife above his own head, officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Boyd. Officers recovered two knives at the scene.

Incident Video
The incident was captured on officers’ body-worn cameras.

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.

In cases where the evidence and legal analysis are clear and the investigation is complete, OSI may issue a Notification of Investigative Findings announcing the conclusion of the investigation. In such cases, OSI will issue the final Investigation Report, as required by law, at a later date.