A New York state trooper who fatally shot a Chemung County man after responding to a reported domestic violence incident in September 2025 will not face any criminal charges following an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office.
Shortly before 3 p.m. Sept. 28, 2025, state troopers and a Chemung County sheriff’s deputy responded to 176 Rotary Road in the Town of Chemung for a reported active physical domestic incident, according to New York State Police.
Trooper Johnathon Butcher, a four-year veteran of the state police, arrived at the scene and located a female victim being menaced in the living room, state police said. Nathan J. Novakowski, 18, of Chemung, was physically threatening the woman with a pair of scissors.
Butcher issued several commands for Novakowski to drop the knife. Novakowski became increasingly agitated and attempted to stab the victim, according to state police.
Butcher then fatally shot Novakowski with his service weapon to prevent harm to the woman.
What did the Attorney General’s Office investigation reveal?
Under an executive order issued in 2015 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Attorney General’s Office conducts independent investigations of all police-related civilian deaths.
The AG’s Office of Special Investigation conducted a probe into Novakowski’s death and released its report Wednesday.
The investigation indicated when Butcher and a deputy from the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene Sept. 28, Novakowski was standing next to his mother, who was seated on the couch.
The report didn’t name the mother, but Novakowski’s obituary identified her as Carol Vanzile, who is also the owner of record at 176 Rotary Road, according to Chemung County tax records.
Novakowski’s mother was screaming, “get away from me,” and using a pillow to partially cover her upper body, the Office of Special Investigation report indicated.
Butcher repeatedly directed Novakowski to drop the scissors, but Novakowski failed to comply and yelled at the trooper to “shoot [him].” The trooper continued to direct Novakowski to drop the scissors, but he refused and yelled that his mother “deserves this,” according to the report.
The trooper’s bodycam footage showed Novakowski lunging toward his mother with the scissors, at which time Butcher fatally shot him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and his mother was treated for minor injuries.
Officers recovered a pair of scissors at the scene.
The investigation’s conclusion
The Office of Special Investigation report essentially cleared Butcher of any wrongdoing or criminal liability as a result of the fatal shooting.
“OSI has concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the trooper’s use of deadly physical force was justified under the law,” the report stated.
A final investigative report will be issued at a later date, OSI said.
Butcher has remained on active duty since the shooting.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Investigation clears state trooper in fatal Town of Chemung shooting
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
