Attorney general: Police shooting of Oneonta man was justified, officer cleared
A veteran Oneonta police officer who shot and killed a city man after responding to a reported domestic dispute in early April has been cleared of any wrongdoing.
State Attorney General Letitia James released a report late Friday by her agency's Office of Special Investigation into the death of 23-year-old Tyler Green.
The investigation determined the responding police officer was justified in his use of force to prevent Green from killing a child.
The attorney general's news release did not name the officer, but New York State Police, who conducted the initial investigation, identified him as Sgt. Ralph Pajerski, a member of Oneonta's police department since 2003.
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The investigation determined Green and his partner were the parents of a nearly 2-year-old-boy.
The Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation offered the following narrative of the events of that day:
On April 6 the partner, her sister, and the child were visiting Green at his home in Oneonta, but due to violent threats made by Green, the sister left the home and drove to the Oneonta Police Department to tell them of her fears for her sister and the child.
Two Oneonta police officers drove to the home and saw Green, his partner, and the child in the front yard.
Green pulled a knife from his pocket, lunged at his partner, and threatened to kill her. The officers drew their guns and instructed Green to drop the knife. But Green then cut his partner’s leg with the knife and swung the knife at one of the officers.
He then grabbed his son by the leg, and as he began to swing the knife at the child, one of the officers fired two shots, striking Green, who immediately released his hold on the child.
Officers called an ambulance and provided care to Green before it arrived. Green was initially transported to a local hospital, and then airlifted by helicopter to Albany Medical Center, when he was pronounced dead.
The investigators concluded under New York law, Pajerski was justified in his use of deadly force, as it was reasonable to believe Green was about to use deadly physical force against the child, and only the officer’s use of deadly physical force in response could prevent him from doing so.
“While this situation was tragic, it could have been even more devastating if not for the actions of the responding officers," James said in a news release. "Members of law enforcement put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and these officers bravely and responsibly fulfilled their duty.”
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This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: State says Oneonta police officer was justified in fatal shooting
