William Lee Daniels Jr., a 29-year-old Black man from Poughkeepsie, New York, died on March 18, 2014. Daniels' death was the result of a police shooting that occurred the day prior.
On the evening of March 17, 2014, officers from the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department responded to a report of a man with a gun at the intersection of Main and Academy streets. Upon arrival, they encountered William Daniels.
According to police accounts, Daniels was armed and refused to comply with officers' commands to drop his weapon. The situation escalated, resulting in Officer Charles B. Sessoms discharging his firearm, striking Daniels.
Daniels was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day. An investigation into the shooting was subsequently launched, a standard procedure for officer-involved fatalities. The Dutchess County District Attorney's Office was tasked with reviewing the incident to determine if the use of deadly force was justified.
As the investigation proceeded, the community awaited further details about the encounter. Information regarding the specifics of the weapon Daniels was alleged to have been carrying and the precise sequence of events leading to the fatal shooting were focal points of the inquiry. The investigation aimed to provide a clearer picture of the moments before the shooting and to assess the officer's actions based on the circumstances they faced. The findings of the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings would ultimately determine the official account of the death of William Daniels.
