New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her office will not charge the NYPD officers involved in the Tasing death of a bipolar man from Queens in June 2020.
In a statement released Friday, James said her office found no evidence responding NYPD officers "committed any crimes" in the death of George Zapantis.
“Based on an extensive review of the facts in this case, [the Office of Special Investigation] determined that the officers involved took appropriate measures first to try to de-escalate the situation, and ultimately were legally justified in their actions," James said. "Despite that conclusion, the Zapantis family is still coping with the tragic loss of a loved one, and I extend my deepest condolences to his entire family.”
The incident raised questions over whether police officers are properly trained to handle calls of people in mental distress.
"We don't see it as the police having bad intentions, but rather extremely poor training," George Vomvolakis, the attorney for the Zapantis family. "No one would have, in my opinion, survived the encounter that George Zapantis found himself in."
The Office of Special Investigation is tasked with handling cases involving lethal police force to determine any wrongdoing on the part of the police. According to James' 27-page report outlining the incident, investigators in this case reviewed body-worn camera footage from the responding officers, cell phone video from someone at the scene, medical records and the NYPD's policy on the use of police-issued Tasers.
Zapantis died on June 21st, 2020 after officers were called to his mother's home in Whitestone, Queens over a report of a man with a gun. Zapantis, according to the report, had been inside the basement dressed in "gladiator attire, including a helmet, shield, and sword." He had no gun, the report read.
As the Emergency Services Unit was called, officers on scene tried to tell Zapantis, who Vomvolakis said was suffering from bipolar disorder, to calm down as they kept him from exiting the basement. According to the report, Zapantis broke through his basement door and "engaged the officers." After a struggle, officers stunned Zapantis three times, rendering him unresponsive. He was rushed to a local hospital and pronounced dead just under an hour later. The Medical Examiner's Office found Zapantis died of cardiac arrest due to dilated cardiomyopathy during the struggle with police, including being hit with a Taser.
Investigators said officers were justified in their use of a Taser, pointing to state law that clears officers if they prove their actions involving physical force were justified. Zapantis was described by officers as over six feet tall and weighed more than 300 pounds.
Vomvolakis called the findings disappointing, adding that the family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NYPD, seeking damages.
Investigators at James' office have not recommended further training of police officers, but clarification on the NYPD's annual use of force report detailing whether the NYPD's Taser use resulted in civilian death. The most recent publicly available report on the use of force by the NYPD shows the police used stun guns 1,271 times in 2019.
"Their findings and ultimate decision will do absolutely nothing to promote change in the way the police handle calls involving mentally ill people," Vomvolakis said.
