A confrontation occurred last Friday night in Rochester, New York, resulting in the death of a man who fired at police officers and a civilian in response to a domestic violence report. Rochester Police Department Chief David Smith provided details about the incident on the 600 block of Chili Avenue during a briefing covered by CBS News.
The incident began when a man called 911 around 10:15 p.m., reporting that his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend was attempting to enter her home and may have been armed. The caller also stated that he held a legal pistol permit and had his firearm with him, Smith said. When officers arrived, they encountered the reported ex-boyfriend at the side of the house, who reportedly drew a handgun and fired, hitting two officers and the caller.
The suspect then fled but was located a few minutes later at a nearby intersection by another police officer. During the encounter, the officer was shot by the suspect. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times and killing him, Smith said during the briefing. Reports, including from Gothamist, indicated that the suspect had fired at both the responding officers and the man who had called 911.
During the incident, three officers sustained serious injuries. One underwent surgery and was in critical but stable condition, another was shot multiple times in the upper body and was stable, and the third, also shot in the upper body, was in stable condition. The civilian caller was seriously injured but his condition was not life-threatening. All received treatment at Strong Memorial Hospital, Smith confirmed. The identities of the officers, each with fewer than 10 years of service, and of the suspect have not been released. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans urged the community to support the officers during this time, according to a statement obtained by Gothamist.
An active investigation into the shootout is ongoing, with the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, the New York State Attorney General's Office, and the Professional Standards Section all involved in reviewing the incident. Smith stated that body-worn camera footage and additional details will be released as the investigation continues.
