Death Of Man After Encounter With LI Police Probed By NY AG

WYANDANCH, NY — The death of Henry Sanders, who died after an encounter with Suffolk County police last year, is being investigated by the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation.

In August, Patch reported that Sanders died after police responded to multiple 911 calls and found him half-naked and "acting belligerent" on Merritt Avenue in Wyandanch.

Police said that upon arrival, they found him naked from the waist down, banging on a business window while acting irrational and agitated.

Officers said after they "subdued" and handcuffed him, he became unresponsive and rescue personnel performed CPR on him.

Sanders was then transported to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

In a statement, OSI said it has been conducting a preliminary assessment of Sanders’ death, but recent new information indicated that it was appropriate to open a formal investigation.

The OSI said that pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, the office 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.

According to the OSI, 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, and if OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.