Video: New York State Police Trooper hit the head with a steel clamp of suspects with boys

From Anne Hayes

source Syracuse.com

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Contonisia, NY – a conversation between a man from Oswego County and police officers in a garage in Constantia, escalated quickly after he was told that he would be taken from him by his little child who was in his arms.

“Her mother comes to take her son,” Charles Costello, deputy of the Sheriff office of Oswego County, told Miles Dignean.

“No, that doesn't happen,” replied Dignean and went away in the garage

In 20 seconds, the encounter went from an officer who calmly explained to the man that he had to bring the boy to a physical argument between Dignean and Officers when they tried to take him into custody.

It ended that Digaan was shot when his 3-year-old son was only a foothold.

The General Prosecutor's office on Friday published two Body Camera videos that show the interaction in a garage between Dignean, Costello, the deputy Corey Whitney and Trooper Junyla Sabari on March 21 at 1 p.m.

The investigators said that Dignean was shot by Whitney, but they didn't say how often it was shot.

Dignean was brought to the Upstate University Hospital and declared dead on this day at 2:28 p.m., said Lt. Andy Bucher, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.

The two videos begin in the garage in the 34 Cook Rd. Since Dignean holds his son, as Costello explains, there is a judicial order that he stays away from the child and they had to take the boy. Dignean initially tries to pass the poor officers with the child, but Sabari grabs the boy who triggers the fight with Whitney.

Sabari quickly sets down the child to help Whitney, and the boy wanders closer to the fight and cries.

Sabari pulls her taser on Dignean, shortly before he reaches a metal object and hits her in the head, the video shows. The object was a 7-inch times 17-inch C-clamp, the 8 pound weighed, said Bucher.

When Sabari uses her Taser, the toddler can be seen as he goes on his father, and his arms stretched when he screams.

During the fight, Whitney's body camera loosens and falls to the ground, and the Sabaris camera is briefly blocked when shots are fired.

There is no clear view of the actual recordings in both videos. At least two recordings can be heard in the videos.

After the shots have been fired, Sabari picks up the little child and calls to report shots that were fired.

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

At the same time, Dignean, who is on site, calmly speaks to the officials who tell him that he was shot when he asks for help. One of the MPs continues to show a weapon on Dignean while talking to him.

Dignean continues to move on the ground and the MPs warn him not to move anymore, otherwise they will deal with handcuffs.

Sabaris Body Camera Videoclip ends because the MPs place the handcuffs on Dignean. Whitneys Body Camera Clip cuts off at the same time.

The MPs said all three officials gave Dignean first aid. This is not shown in the videos.

Sabari was brought to St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracus and treated because of a slight head injury, said Bucher.

The General Prosecutor's office announced that it would start an investigation of Dignean's death at the end of March.

The AG opens a complete investigation of an incident if its assessment determines that an official has caused or may have caused a person's death.

The AG will either provide evidence of a Grand jury and request an indictment or issue a public report, which explains why the Grand Jury office should not provide any evidence.

On the day of his son's death, Alton Dignean put a sign near her house with the inscription “The Bulls just killed my son” in red color.

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

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

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