Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Miles Dignean

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Miles Dignean, who died on March 21, 2025 following an encounter with members of the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) and the New York State Police (NYSP) in Oswego County.

On the afternoon of March 21, members of the OCSO and the NYSP responded to a house in Constantia, Oswego County, following a 911 call for a welfare check and to serve Mr. Dignean with an order of protection. A struggle ensued during the encounter, and Mr. Dignean swung a metal object at officers, striking a NYSP trooper in the head. As the struggle continued, an OCSO deputy discharged his service weapon, striking Mr. Dignean. Mr. Dignean was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that officers were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

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. 

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