Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Azer Ben Zitun
Age : 21
Gender : Male
Race : Middle Eastern
Date : 08/05/2023
Location : 540 W Main St
City : Roosevelt Island
County : Manhattan
State : New York
Agency : New York Police Department
Officer(s) :Unknown
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during a disturbance call
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/04/2023, at approximately 11:30 p.m., New York City Police Department officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a domestic disturbance at an apartment building at 405 Main Street on Roosevelt Island. Family members reported that 21-year-old Azer Ben Zitun was threatening relatives with a large kitchen knife and experiencing a mental health crisis. Officers attempted to de-escalate the encounter and repeatedly ordered him to drop the knife.
According to investigators, Ben Zitun exited an elevator while holding the knife and moved toward officers despite repeated commands. Multiple officers fired their service weapons, striking him. Officers rendered medical aid, but Ben Zitun was pronounced dead at the scene.
The New York Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation reviewed body camera footage, witness statements, forensic evidence, and physical evidence. In September 2024, the Attorney General concluded the evidence did not support criminal charges against the officers because prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the use of deadly force was not justified.
