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Attorney General James Releases Footage from
Investigation into Death of Victor Craighead in Town of Diana
Published: May 06, 2026 at
02:50 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS Attorney General’s Office
Attorney General James Releases Footage from
Investigation into Death of Victor Craighead
NEW YORK – New York
Attorney General Letitia James today released footage
from a drone camera and a body-worn camera that her office obtained as part
of its ongoing investigation into the death of Victor Craighead, who died on
March 28, 2026 following an encounter with members of the New York State
Police (NYSP) in the town of Diana, Lewis County. (Warning:
These videos contain content that viewers may find disturbing.)
In the evening
on March 27, NYSP troopers responded to the area of a
mobile home on Alpine Road in Diana following a 911
call. During the early morning hours of March 28,
Mr. Craighead came out of the mobile home armed with a
long gun and fired at troopers who were in an armored vehicle. One
trooper discharged his service weapon,
striking Mr. Craighead.
Mr. Craighead was pronounced dead at the
scene. Officers recovered a long gun at the scene.
The Office of
Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released
footage from a drone and a body-worn camera that a deputy was 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.
Warning: These
videos contain content that viewers may find disturbing.
VIDEO CAN BE
VIEWED HERE
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