New York Attorney General's Office Clears Suffolk County Police in Alan Weber Death

Strategic Insights -

The Suffolk County Police Department's (SCPD) actions leading to the death of Alan Weber, who died on October 10, 2023, have been deemed justified by the New York Office of the Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation (OSI). After a thorough investigation, which included review of 911 calls, body-worn camera footage, and interviews with involved officers, the OSI concluded that the officers' use of deadly physical force was justified under New York law. The investigation found that Mr. Weber was armed with two fencing swords and failed to comply with repeated instructions to drop them, posing a threat to the officers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The OSI determined that the SCPD officers' use of deadly physical force against Mr. Weber was justified under New York law.
  • The investigation found that Mr. Weber was armed with two fencing swords and failed to comply with repeated instructions to drop them.
  • The OSI recommends that all SCPD officers should be required to take the Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program to learn de-escalation techniques for civilians experiencing a mental health crisis.
  • Responding SCPD officers should first determine whether the person in crisis is an immediate danger to themselves or others before taking further action.
  • The OSI suggests that SCPD officers should call Emergency Services Unit (ESU) officers or the Diagnostic, Assessment, and Stabilization Hub (DASH) mobile crisis response team if the person in crisis is not an immediate danger.

Statistics:

  • October 10, 2023: Date of Mr. Weber's death
  • 2: Number of fencing swords found at the scene
  • 1: Number of SCPD officers involved in the incident
  • 1: Number of officers who fired their service weapon
  • 1: Number of taser deployed by the other officer
  • None: Number of criminal charges pursued by the OSI
  • 100: Percentage of SCPD officers recommended to take the CIT program

Sources:

  • New York Office of the Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation (OSI) report
  • October 10, 2023, incident report
  • Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) policies and procedures
  • New York State justification law ( section not specified)