NY Attorney General Releases Bodycam Footage of Fatal Police Shooting of Teenager

The New York State Attorney General's Office has released body-camera footage showing the final moments of a 50-minute interaction between police and 17-year-old Oscar Granados Colindres, who was fatally shot by officers on a bridge in Wappingers Falls. The incident began after authorities received a call about a person threatening to take their own life.

When deputies arrived, Colindres was on the ledge of an overpass bridge holding a knife. The released footage captures a conversation in Spanish between Colindres and one officer, who was standing a few feet away. At least five other officers were present, positioned across the road and further down.

During the interaction, the officer spoke with Colindres about his family and urged him to reconsider his actions. Towards the end of the conversation, the officer asked Colindres to close the knife he was holding. The officer stated, "Look, they won't move unless I tell them they can move," gesturing to the other officers present.

Shortly after these words, Colindres moved off the bridge and ran toward the officer he had been speaking with. Police then opened fire, striking Colindres. The footage shows him falling to the ground, and at least ten gunshots can be heard. Audio from the body-cam footage of an officer positioned further down the road was redacted, but video showed that officer also opening fire.

The family's attorneys, Vince Sykes, Randolph McLaughlin, and Debra S. Cohen, released a statement noting that while the footage is a step toward transparency, it does not fully explain why an encounter meant to save Oscar's life resulted in his death. The family's legal representation indicated that Oscar's mother believes he would still be alive if trained crisis intervention professionals had responded instead of police.

Colindres was a student at Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls. His obituary states he enjoyed playing soccer and had an interest in classic cars. His aspirations included becoming a professional soccer player, joining the U.S. military, and traveling the world. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been established by his family for memorial donations.