By David LaGuerre
The attorney general’s office says it cannot disprove the officer’s justification beyond a reasonable doubt. Full-report review remains pending.
New York’s Office of Special Investigation will not pursue criminal charges in the police shooting death of Damon Louther in Brooklyn, Attorney General Letitia James’ office announced November 10.
Louther died May 13, 2025, after an encounter with New York City police officers. The office said its investigation concluded that a prosecutor could not disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s use of deadly force was justified under state law.
The decision concerns whether criminal charges can be proved under that legal standard. It should not be read as a finding about every possible civil claim, department policy question or broader concern about the encounter.
The account in the state’s announcement
According to the attorney general’s office, officers responded shortly before 3 p.m. to a Brooklyn apartment after a 911 caller reported a domestic dispute involving Louther. The caller told officers outside the building that Louther had entered the apartment without an invitation, the office said.
The announcement says officers entered and encountered Louther in a hallway. It says he walked toward them, reached into his waistband and pulled out a large knife. These details come from the state’s account, not an independent interview or direct review of video by Mohawk Valley Voice.
The office said officers tried to back away. One deployed a Taser that struck Louther, but the announcement says Louther pulled out the prongs and continued advancing. A second officer then fired a service weapon and struck him.
Louther was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a knife at the scene, according to the announcement. This draft does not add a number of shots, a precise distance between people or other details not established by the source reviewed.
Why prosecutors declined charges
The office explained that New York’s justification law permits deadly physical force when a person reasonably believes it is necessary to defend against another person’s use of deadly physical force.
In applying that law, investigators relied on the account that Louther approached officers while holding a knife and continued after the Taser was used. The office concluded that the evidence would not allow prosecutors to disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
That is the stated basis for declining charges. It is different from saying a jury heard this case and acquitted the officer, or that the announcement settles every question raised by the death. No such trial outcome is reported in the release.
What investigators say they reviewed
The attorney general’s office said the investigation included interviews with involved officers, body-camera and security-camera footage, recorded civilian interviews, a recorded 911 call, police radio transmission and legal analysis.
The Office of Special Investigation report on Damon Louther’s death is the primary document linked by the announcement. This draft could not independently retrieve and review the full report. It therefore does not claim to reproduce every witness account, evidentiary qualification or recommendation it may contain.
The event took place in Brooklyn in May 2025; the new development is the November 2026 release of the state’s decision. It is statewide justice coverage, not a new Mohawk Valley incident or an active local public-safety warning.
Reporting still needed
Before publication, the complete report should be checked against this summary, including its legal reasoning and any limits in the evidence. A response from Louther’s family or representatives and any relevant NYPD response have not been independently obtained for this draft.
The official November 10 press release supplies the facts attributed above. No image of Louther or the scene has been verified for use. This report is saved for editorial review rather than presented as a completed account of every perspective on the shooting.