By Jon Moss
syracuse.com
CONSTANTIA, N.Y. — The state Lawyer Basic’s Workplace mentioned Wednesday that it’s going to not pursue felony expenses towards an Oswego County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a person final 12 months.
Deputy Corey Whitney shot and killed Miles Dignean on March 21, 2025.
The Dignean household has filed a wrongful loss of life and extreme drive lawsuit in federal court docket.
A 19-page report from the AG’s workplace mentioned a prosecutor wouldn’t be capable of disprove past an inexpensive doubt that the officer’s actions had been justified below state regulation.
Whitney and a state trooper responded to 34 Cook dinner Street in Constantia that day after a member of the family reported considerations about Dignean to a suicide hotline, based on the report.
A distinct deputy, Charles Costello, was additionally responding to the house. He was making an attempt to serve an order of safety on Dignean to steer clear of his 3-year-old son.
The officers discovered Dignean, 32, within the dwelling’s storage along with his son in his arms. He wouldn’t give the boy to the officers.
The trooper, Junyla Sabari, was in a position to seize the boy and tried to maneuver him away.
A battle ensued.
Dignean swung a steel C-clamp on the officers, which struck Sabari within the head.
The clamp was beforehand described by a sheriff’s workplace spokesperson as a 7-inch by 17-inch metal C-clamp that weighed 8 kilos.
Whitney deployed his Taser and Dignean fell to the bottom.
Shortly after, Whitney shot Dignean. He then shouted for him to “drop it.”
Dignean was taken by ambulance to Upstate College Hospital in Syracuse, the place he later died.
An post-mortem performed by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Workplace confirmed Dignean was shot twice — as soon as within the again and as soon as in the appropriate arm.
The report mentioned the sheriff’s workplace didn’t have a written coverage for “responding to and dealing with calls related to individuals in disaster.” It really useful creating one.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark about whether or not such a coverage was below growth.
The lawsuit filed by the Dignean household described makes an attempt to get psychological well being professionals concerned to help the police.
Dignean’s mom was on the cellphone for 2 hours with one company, Liberty Assets , to rearrange for a counselor to be current whereas the order of safety was served, the lawsuit mentioned.
Dignean’s household had beforehand been in contact with Liberty Assets. The lawsuit described a gathering months earlier than the capturing between his mother and father and deputies, the place the deputies really useful the household set up a relationship with Liberty.
After the capturing, Dignean’s father, Alton Dignean, previously said police didn’t must shoot his son.
“He was an incredible child,” he mentioned. “They shot my son and killed him. They’d tasers proper on them, they didn’t must shoot him.”
The AG’s workplace is required by state regulation to analyze any deaths that consequence from an motion, or inaction, by regulation enforcement, together with police and corrections officers.
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