UPDATE: NY Attorney General report finds no fault for officers who responded to man suffering psychotic event and died in custody
TRENTON- A report from the New York Attorney General’s Office has released some significant findings regarding a man who suffered a psychotic event and died while in police custody in the early spring nearly a year and a half ago.
According to previous reports, law enforcement officers, including the New York State Police and Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, responded to an address on Sand Ridge Road on the night of March 24, 2025 after 9-1-1 dispatch received calls regarding a man experiencing a “psychotic attack.”
It was originally reported that while Troopers interviewed with Mathew Brown, he all of a sudden reached for a Trooper’s firearm.
He was immediately apprehended, handcuffed, all while officers radioed for an ambulance and requested a mental health evaluation.
The report suggests that Mr. Brown struggled and was held down before an ambulance could arrive. This is when Brown began making involuntary movements, and remained unresponsive after being rolled onto his side.
Despite aid administered by responding EMS at the scene and while on the way to the hospital, Mr. Brown was soon pronounced deceased.
An autopsy found that Brown died from bupropion toxicity.
The report made clear that there was no evidence to suggest any actions that night by responding officers caused asphyxia or other injuries that resulted in Brown’s death.
Read the full report text below:
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Matthew Brown, who died on March 25, 2025 following a March 24 encounter with members of the New York State Police (NYSP) and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) in Trenton, Oneida County. After a thorough investigation, which included review of body-worn camera footage, a 911 call, ambulance records, and an involved officer’s statement; interviews with involved officers, medical professionals, and a civilian witness; and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges are not warranted in this case.
At 11:31 p.m. on March 24, two NYSP troopers responded to a residence in Trenton after receiving a 911 call reporting a man experiencing a “psychotic attack.” When troopers arrived at the house and knocked, Mr. Brown opened the door. Troopers briefly spoke with Mr. Brown, but during the interaction, Mr. Brown reached for a trooper’s gun. At 11:33 p.m., both troopers forced Mr. Brown to the ground, and one trooper straddled him, while the other handcuffed him behind his back. At 11:35 p.m. the troopers radioed for an ambulance and requested a mental health evaluation.
At 11:40 p.m., an OCSO deputy arrived at the scene, where he witnessed Mr. Brown being physically held down by a trooper. The trooper told the deputy, “We’ll wait until the ambulance gets here and then we’ll get him up.” Mr. Brown struggled several times while being held down, and officers continued to hold him down. At 11:54 p.m., Mr. Brown began to make involuntary movements and officers rolled Mr. Brown onto his side. Mr. Brown made a noise but was unresponsive. Medical professionals arrived at the scene and began providing aid on the way to the hospital. Mr. Brown was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 1:05 a.m. on March 25.
Under federal and New York state law, police officers have the authority to detain a person when they pose an immediate danger to themselves or others, or when a person’s behavior demonstrates a need for urgent action. In this case, troopers responded to a 911 call reporting Mr. Brown was experiencing a “psychotic attack.” When troopers attempted to speak with Mr. Brown, he tried to take one of their guns. After officers placed Mr. Brown in handcuffs, they held him in a prone position while awaiting the ambulance. As soon as Mr. Brown did not appear well, the officers changed his position and radioed the ambulance in an attempt to accelerate the medical response.
According to the autopsy report and an interview with the medical examiner, Mr. Brown’s cause of death was bupropion toxicity, and there is no evidence to suggest that the officers’ actions caused asphyxia or positional asphyxia, or any other injury that contributed to Mr. Brown’s death.
Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers caused Mr. Brown’s death or committed a crime, and OSI determined that criminal charges could not be pursued in this matter.
The OSI recommends that NYSP enhance existing training to include the risks of positional asphyxia due to prone restraint and how to manage those risks by using alternative positions of restraint. The OSI also recommends that Oneida County 911 operators – and all 911 operators statewide – adjust protocol to require that 911 calls reporting a person believed to be experiencing a mental health emergency immediately loop in mental health services providers to supplement the police response. The OSI further recommends that NYSP implement protocols for involving mental health professionals when responding to mental health calls.
NYSP image.
