Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Hilton Spokony

October 22, 2026

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today released footage from security cameras that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Hilton Spokony, who died on June 12, 2026 following a motor vehicle incident involving an off-duty Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) officer in Patchogue, Suffolk County.

Shortly after 10 p.m. on June 12, an off-duty SCPD officer driving in their personal vehicle struck a car that had just turned left across Waverly Avenue onto Buckley Road in Patchogue. Mr. Spokony was in the passenger seat of that second car. The off-duty officer and the driver of the vehicle Mr. Spokony was in were transported to a local hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released. Mr. Spokony was also transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General's Office released footage from three security cameras that captured the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James' directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI 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 OSI's assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.

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