Jamie Feith: Bodycam footage reveals NY police fatally shot armed mother-of-3 at her home
DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK: New York police who responded to a domestic dispute in Dutchess County, fatally shot a woman inside her home after she opened a knife on them, showed body-worn footage newly released by the state Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation. The disturning footage released on Tuesday, May 9 showed the confrontation with the police that led to the killing of Jamie Feith, on April 29, 2022.
The 34-year-old woman lived in her Hyde Park home with her partner and her three young boys. After the police received a report of physical domestic violence, they responded to the couple's home and initially de-escalated the dispute between the woman and her partner, whose name has not been disclosed, as reported by New York Post.
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What led to the fatal shooting of Feith?
Following the dispute, state Trooper Christopher Miller and Hyde Park cops Bryan Sweeney and Joshua Sweeney tried to speak to Feith who drew a knife on them. Miller's bodycam footage showed Kemlage leading Feith away from the bedroom where one of her boys could be seen standing. "Watch! Knife!" exclaimed one of the officers just seconds after they exit the room and another officer spoke into his walkie-talkie and said, "911, send an additional, we’ve got one at gunpoint." The tense video shows Kemlage struggling to get the gun out of Feith's hand.
Officers repeatedly asked her to "drop the knife" and told her to "get back" when she started standing up. However, she was seen continuing to move through her home and not listening to the officers. "Shoot her," said one of the officers and Kemlage shot her twice and knocked her to the floor.
Feith's partner repeatedly yelled to the officer to not shoot her
Feith's partner who does not appear in the camera's view throughout the conflict can be heard yelling, "Don’t f*****g shoot her" as the officer continued to fire two more gunshots. "No," exclaimed her partner after he shouted "What the f***. What the f***. Get off of her. Get off of her." He then yells at the cops to not kill him after which the video ends. Feith who suffered multiple gunshot wounds was pronounced dead at the scene.
A release issued by the attorney general's office stated that "the release of this video follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office in the course of an OSI investigation be released to the public in order to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters." Investigation into Feith's slaying is still underway.