BUFFALO, N.Y. — The attorney of a New York State trooper involved in a deadly shooting in Buffalo last month is now speaking out after Attorney General Letitia James released body camera footage of the incident this week.

What You Need To Know

  • The NYS Attorney General's Office released body camera footage of a deadly police shooting in February
  • NYS Trooper Anthony Nigro shot James Huber after commanding he exit his vehicle
  • Huber, 38, died at the scene

In the body camera video, 14-year veteran State Trooper Anthony Nigro is seen approaching James Huber's vehicle in downtown Buffalo after an earlier police chase on the Thruway and the I-190. Nigro orders Huber to get out several times. Huber then puts the car in reverse and Nigro shoots him. Huber, 38, of North East, Pennsylvania, died at the scene. 

Nigro's attorney, Daniel Strollo, says both the trooper and the public were in danger, and the shooting was justified.

"So much can happen in the course of one or two seconds and that's why troopers have to make very important decisions very quickly to protect themselves and the public,” Strollo said. “You see this individual continue to disobey commands as he was doing on the Thruway when he was leading police on a chase. You see him reach into the vehicle. When people disobey commands and reach into the vehicle, those hands usually kill later.”

State law requires the Attorney General's Office of Special Investigations to look into any incident where a police officer may have caused someone's death. 

AG James has directed that videos like this are released for transparency and public trust.

Strollo says the AG's office should have waited until after the investigation was complete to release the video and provide more information to the public about what led up to the incident. 

"All they did was release this video that some would perceive as being inflammatory if you don't watch it carefully. If you don't understand what happens before the body camera is activated,” said Strollo. “They released this video without much context. It serves no legitimate purpose other than to further the attorney general's political agenda to get attention. To show that she's going after cops.”

John Elmore, an attorney in Buffalo and a former state trooper and former assistant attorney general, says the body cam video is only a part of what goes into the investigation of Trooper Nigro's actions.

"If in fact it was his reasonable belief that the car was going to be used against him, or against pedestrian or vehicle traffic and endanger their lives, then he did have the right to use deadly physical force,” said Elmore. “If not, then the conduct could be interpreted as reckless or negligent.”

He believes the release of the body camera footage is appropriate. 

"What I do like is that there's transparency,” said Elmore. “That this was released to the public and that gives the public faith in the criminal justice system in the investigation.”

In a statement, the Attorney General's Office wrote:

"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."

Nigro remains on active duty while the investigation continues.