Authorities say a suspect was fatally shot by police after he opened fire on three police officers and another victim in Rochester, New York.
The shooting happened as police responded to a domestic incident late Friday, Dec. 19. The officers and other victim faced various injuries.
Two officers with the Rochester Police Department, who responded to the report of a domestic dispute at about 10:15 p.m., were fired upon when they arrived at the scene, Rochester Police Chief David Smith said during a morning news conference on Saturday, Dec. 20.
“The caller stated his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend was attempting to break into her house … and that the suspect possibly had a gun,” Smith said, adding that the man who called in the report told police he also had a pistol and a legal permit to own it.
When the officers arrived at the scene, they found the suspect and “without warning, they were shot at close range,” Smith said. The suspect “immediately pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots” at the man who called in the dispute and the officers, striking two officers, Smith said.
During a subsequent “exchange of gunfire” between the suspect and the man who called in the report, the caller was also shot multiple times, he said.
The suspect fled but a few minutes later, another officer located him. When the officer ordered him to stop the suspect again pulled out a handgun and shot the officer, Smith said. That officer and others returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, Smith said.
All three Rochester Police Department officers remain hospitalized. The first wounded officer was shot multiple times but wore a ballistic vest; his injuries are not considered life-threatening and he is listed in stable condition, Smith said. The second wounded officer, who was shot in the upper body, underwent surgery and is critical, but stable condition, he said. The third officer, who was shot in the upper body and suffered serious injuries, is listed in stable condition.
The victim, who called in the report, was shot multiple times, Smith said. He is listed in serious but non-life-threatening condition.
The identities of the wounded officers, the suspect and the victim have not been released and the investigation is currently ongoing, Smith said. The Rochester Police Department’s Professional Standards Section, the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office are each conducting parallel investigations into the shooting, he said.
Public officials offered praise and concern for the wounded officers. “I am deeply grateful for our officers’ heroism and thankful to their fellow officers, our law enforcement partners, and other first responders for their efforts to secure the scene and save lives,” Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said in a statement on Saturday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, in a statement posted on X, said, “Our police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. Last night, three @RochesterNYPD officers were shot while responding to a call. I’ve spoken with Mayor Evans to share our prayers for their full recovery and offer @nyspolice’s full support.”
