Video: New York State Police Trooper Struck in Head with Steel Clamp by Suspect with Boy

By Anne Hayes

Source syracuse.com

CONSTANTIA, NY — A conversation between an Oswego County man and police officers in a garage in Constantia escalated quickly after he was told his young child, who was in his arms, would be taken from him.

“Your mom is coming up to take your son,” Oswego County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Charles Costello told Miles Dignean.

“No, that’s not happening,” Dignean responded, walking away in the garage

In 20 seconds, the encounter went from an officer calmly explaining to the man that he needed to take the boy to a physical altercation between Dignean and officers as they tried to take him into custody.

It ended with Digean being shot as his 3-year-old son was wailing just feet away.

The state Attorney General’s Office Friday released two body camera videos that show the interaction in a garage between Dignean, Costello, Deputy Corey Whitney and Trooper Junyla Sabari at about 1 p.m. on March 21.

Investigators have said Dignean was shot by Whitney, but they have not said how many times he was shot.

Dignean was taken to Upstate University Hospital and was pronounced dead at 2:28 p.m. that day, Lt. Andy Bucher, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, has said.

The two videos start in the garage at 34 Cook Rd. with Dignean holding his son as Costello explains there’s a court order for him to stay away from the child and they needed to take the boy. Dignean first tries to walk past officers with the child in his arms, but Sabari grabs the boy which triggers the struggle with Whitney.

Sabari quickly puts the child down to aid Whitney and the boy wanders closer to the fray, crying.

Sabari pulls her taser on Dignean shortly before he grabs a metal object and hits her in the head with it, the video shows. The object was a 7-inch by 17-inch steel C-Clamp that weighed 8 pounds, Bucher has said.

As Sabari is deploying her taser, the toddler can be seen walking behind her toward his father, arms extended as he screams.

During the fight, Whitney’s body camera detaches and falls to the ground and Sabari’s camera is briefly blocked as shots are fired.

There is no clear view of the actual shooting in either video. At least two shots can be heard on the videos.

After the shots are fired, Sabari picks up the young child and calls in to report shots were fired.

She takes the child over to a workbench in the garage to check on the boy.

At the same time, Dignean, who is facedown on the ground, is calmly talking to officers, who inform him he has been shot as he asks for help standing up. One of the deputies continues to point a gun at Dignean as they speak to him.

Dignean continues to move on the ground and the deputies warn him to stop moving or they will handcuff him.

Sabari’s body camera video clip ends as the deputies are placing the handcuffs on Dignean. Whitney’s body camera clip cuts off at the same time.

Deputies have said all three officers gave Dignean first aid. That’s not shown on the videos.

Sabari was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse and treated for a minor head injury, Bucher said.

The state Attorney General’s Office announced they were launching an investigation into Dignean’s death in late March.

The AG opens a full investigation of an incident if its assessment determines that an officer caused or may have caused the death of an individual.

The AG will either present evidence to a grand jury and seek an indictment or issue a public report explaining why the office chose not to present evidence to the grand jury, according to an annual report issued by the Office of Special Investigations.

The day of his son’s death, Alton Dignean put up a sign near their home that read “the cops just killed my son” in red paint.

Alton Dignean told Syracuse.com that police didn’t have to shoot his son.

“He was a great kid,” he said. “They shot my son and killed him.”

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