The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) under New York Attorney General Letitia James has released its findings regarding the death of Allan Hoad, who died after an encounter with law enforcement in Steuben County on October 21, 2024. The investigation focused on actions taken by members of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Corning Police Department during a standoff in Cameron.
According to OSI, deputies responded to a 911 call for a welfare check at a residence on Angel Road. Upon arrival, officers attempted to communicate with Mr. Hoad, who fired a shotgun at them twice. This led to a standoff lasting 13 hours, during which Mr. Hoad made threats against police and others while speaking with 911 operators and crisis negotiators.
At approximately 2 p.m., Mr. Hoad left his home carrying a long gun and drove to another house nearby. Officers tried again to get him to surrender and blocked the roadway with their vehicles. Mr. Hoad then reversed his truck toward officers while holding what appeared to be a handgun and collided with a patrol car. Officers fired their weapons as he drove at them and exited his vehicle; Mr. Hoad was struck by gunfire, transported to a hospital, and later pronounced dead. A shotgun and three imitation pistols were found in his truck.
The OSI report states: “After a thorough investigation, which included review of footage from body-worn cameras and a drone, interviews with witnesses and officers, review of written statements from involved officers, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ actions were justified under New York law.”
OSI referenced state justification laws allowing police use of deadly force if an officer reasonably believes it necessary for defense against deadly force by another person: “In this case, officers responded to a welfare call and were fired upon, then repeatedly attempted to engage Mr. Hoad as he threatened to kill them and others before he eventually drove his vehicle toward officers while pointing a gun at them.” The report continues: “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 officers’ use of deadly physical force against Mr. Hoad was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.”
