New Rochelle Man Dies From Police Shooting, NY AG Opens Probe

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation has opened an investigation into the police-involved shooting of Jarrell Garris, who died following an encounter with members of the New Rochelle Police Department on July 3.

At 4:29 p.m. that day, the New Rochelle Police Department responded to a local grocery store for a larceny complaint.

Responding officers confronted Garris, 37, who was accused of stealing items from the store, according to the New York State Police. Officers Kari Bird, Gabrielle Chavarry, and Detective Steven Conn were placing Garris under arrest when he physically resisted, according to New Rochelle police.

The department said in a statement released July 4 that Garris then grabbed an officer's gun and attempted to remove the weapon from the holster.

Body cam footage released by the NRPD appears to back up the assertion. It shows Garris apparently ignoring attempts by police to talk to him, initially walking away. When officers tried to place him under arrest, a scuffle ensued. One officer can be heard calling for the use of a taser, but moments later, a male police officer can be heard shouting, "He's got a gun. He's got a gun."

While attempting to arrest him, Conn fired one round from his department-issued firearm, striking Garris, the NYSP said in a statement. Garris was taken to a local hospital.

He died Monday, the AG's office said.

"It is with great sorrow that we confirm that our son, father, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend has transitioned," the family said Monday afternoon in a statement issued by their lawyer and spokesman, William O. Wagstaff III. "We are committed to getting Justice for Jarrell and submit that if the City of New Rochelle is sincere about its commitment to transparency and it’s not just a veneer, all videos of Jarrell’s execution should be released immediately.

"We ask for prayer and peace as we prepare to memorialize him."

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation 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 the assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI conducts a full investigation.

SEE ALSO:

• City Officials Promise 'Transparent' Process After Police Shooting
• State Police ID 37-Year-Old Shot By NRPD, Name Officers Involved
• Man Who Grabbed Officer's Gun Shot By Police: New Rochelle PD