Oswego Cop Shooting Death Ruled Justified by NY AG

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today ruled the shooting death of Miles Dignean by Oswego County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) and New York State Police (NYSP) officers justified, following a thorough probe.

Dignean died on March 21, 2025, after an altercation with OCSO and NYSP in Oswego County. The report cited footage from body-worn cameras and interviews with involved officers as part of their findings.

The OSI concluded that a prosecutor could not disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s use of deadly force was not justified under New York law, as Dignean swung a metal object at an officer during a struggle. Charges were therefore dropped in the case.

During the investigation, it was noted that OCSO lacked written policies for handling crisis calls. OSI recommended implementing such policies and improved training for officers dealing with people in crisis.

In addition, OSI pushed for Daniel’s Law, which would establish non-police community-run crisis response teams. The report also highlighted the recommendation for all police departments to equip officers with body-worn cameras.