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Officers involved in a December shooting in Poughkeepsie have been cleared of wrongdoing. The Dutchess County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday (March 3) that a grand jury found the officers justified in their use of deadly force. The incident occurred on December 22, 2024, when officers responded to a 911 call at an apartment on Rose Street.
Upon arrival, the officers encountered Kevin Fitzpatrick, who matched the description of an armed suspect. Fitzpatrick, who had made the 911 call, reportedly pointed a BB gun replica at the officers, prompting them to discharge their weapons. Both Fitzpatrick and an uninvolved bystander, Devon Gethers, were injured during the incident. According to NEWS10, Fitzpatrick was attempting "suicide by cop."
The grand jury reviewed testimony from 14 witnesses, including law enforcement officers and civilians, as well as video evidence from security and body-worn cameras. The investigation confirmed that Fitzpatrick had made a false 911 call to lure officers to the scene. He has been indicted on multiple charges, including menacing a police officer, reckless endangerment, and falsely reporting an incident.
District Attorney Anthony Parisi stated that the full video footage from the officers' body cameras would be released after Fitzpatrick's criminal prosecution concludes, in order to maintain transparency and public confidence in the justice system. The officers involved have been on administrative leave but will return to work shortly, as noted by Mid Hudson News.