Syracuse Police Shooting: Donnell Hogan Death Deemed Justified

SYRACUSE, NY – A hail of gunfire inside a North Townsend Street apartment building on May 13th, 2025, culminated in the death of Donnell Hogan, and now, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has determined the responding officers were legally justified in using deadly force. The findings, released today, bring a grim closure to the incident, though a full Investigation Report is still forthcoming.

According to OSI’s assessment, Syracuse Police Department (SPD) officers responded to frantic 911 calls reporting a man discharging a firearm within the building at approximately 10:00 p.m. Witnesses identified the shooter as a man in a wheelchair on the second floor. Officers strategically split into two teams, utilizing separate stairwells to approach the suspect’s location, a tactic designed to contain the threat but ultimately leading to a deadly confrontation.

The first team of officers encountered Donnell Hogan in the hallway, maintaining a distance of roughly 60 feet. Unable to immediately ascertain if he was armed, they repeatedly shouted demands for him to “show your hands.” Simultaneously, the second team approached from a perpendicular hallway, emerging from a stairwell directly into Hogan’s line of sight. As they entered, Hogan allegedly raised a handgun and fired in their direction. A single round fired by the lead officer from the first team proved fatal.

Investigators recovered a pistol from Hogan’s grasp at the scene. Crucially, the entire encounter was captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras, providing a visual record of the rapidly escalating situation. Images released by OSI depict Hogan clearly armed with a firearm moments before the shooting. While the footage will be included in the final report, OSI officials state it corroborated the accounts provided by the officers.

Under New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI is mandated to investigate any incident where a law enforcement officer may have caused a death, regardless of the circumstances or the deceased’s status. This investigation, like all OSI probes, was thorough and impartial. However, in this case, the evidence led investigators to conclude that a prosecutor would be unable to disprove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer’s use of force was justified under the law.

The decision will likely spark debate amongst community activists, but OSI maintains its commitment to transparency and accountability. The final Investigation Report will offer a more comprehensive analysis of the incident, but the initial findings paint a stark picture: a tense standoff, a perceived immediate threat, and a tragic outcome deemed lawful by the state’s top legal authorities. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story as the full report becomes available.