New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has released its findings regarding the death of Donnell Hogan, who died on May 13, 2025, after an encounter with Syracuse Police Department officers. The investigation included a review of body-worn camera footage, written statements from officers involved, 911 calls, interviews with witnesses, and legal analysis.
According to the report, at around 10 p.m. on May 13, Syracuse police responded to several 911 calls about a man firing a gun both outside and inside an apartment building on North Townsend Street. Witnesses told officers that the suspect was in a wheelchair on the second floor and had been shooting a gun.
Officers divided into two teams and entered the building through separate entrances using different stairwells. The first team encountered Mr. Hogan in his wheelchair in a hallway about 60 feet away but could not see his hands. Officers began shouting for him to show his hands. Meanwhile, the second team approached from another stairwell and entered a hallway perpendicular to where Mr. Hogan was located.
As the second team entered through a stairwell door, Mr. Hogan raised a gun with his right hand and fired toward them. In response, the lead officer from the first team discharged one round that fatally struck Mr. Hogan. A pistol was recovered at the scene.
The OSI report states: “After a thorough investigation, which included review of body-worn camera footage, written statements from involved officers, and 911 calls, interviews with witnesses, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s actions were justified under New York law.”
The justification law in New York allows police officers to use deadly physical force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to defend against deadly physical force by another person.
OSI further explained: “In this case, officers responded to an apartment building after receiving reports of a man firing a gun. When officers encountered Mr. Hogan, they directed him to show his hands, but Mr. Hogan failed to comply and instead raised his gun at an officer and fired. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s use of deadly physical force against Mr. Hogan was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.”
