Two Troy Police officers have been cleared in the investigation into the death of a man they tried to arrest in October 2023.

Officers responded to a Troy home on Oct. 13, 2023, for a trespassing complaint. They found Woody Smith climbing out of a first-floor window. The two officers repeatedly ordered Smith to get on the ground. There was a struggle, as the officers tried to put him in handcuffs. Smith told the officers he could not breathe.

Once he was handcuffed, they rolled him to his side. He became unresponsive. Smith was taken to a local hospital, and pronounced dead.
The Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation concluded that the cause of death was acute drug intoxication, pre-existing health conditions, and his exertion during the struggle with the officers.

There was no reason to believe that the officers’ actions in restraining Smith caused his death, according to the investigation.

Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello and Police Dan DeWolf issued a joint statement extending their condolences to Smith’s family and friends.

They said that the city remains committed to transparency and accountability – as demonstrated in the release of the body-worn camera footage.