(ProsperNews.net) – Two police officers and a suspect died during a shootout in Syracuse, New York. The incident unfolded in the Liverpool suburb when police attempted to pull over a suspicious vehicle. The driver fled the scene, and officers later located the car a few miles away. While they investigated, gunshots rang out from a nearby house. Officers returned fire, and three people sustained gunshot wounds. Paramedics transported the men to hospital, where two officers and a suspect died within hours.
Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile told reporters, “We lost two heroes tonight.” Mayor Ben Walsh said the city’s “worst nightmare” had come true, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the killings “senseless.”
The dead officers were later identified as Onondaga Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen. Mr. Cecile said they had given their lives for their community, adding that he struggled to find words of comfort for the slain men’s families.
Mr. Hoosock was married with three children aged 3, 5, and 7. Onondaga County Sheriff Tobias Shelley told reporters that Hoosock was well-loved in his community and had been a bomb squad commander at the Sheriff’s office since 2007. Mr. Jensen joined the Syracuse Police just over two years ago, and Mr. Cecile said he took his role and responsibilities very seriously.
At a press conference, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told reporters that the dead suspect was 33-year-old Christopher Murphy, who was using cocaine immediately before the incident. A second suspect was detained as he tried to flee the scene. He told authorities that Murphy began behaving erratically after consuming cocaine and grabbed a rifle when he realized police were outside. Murphy told the unnamed suspect to leave the house, and he immediately complied.
The killings bring the total number of police deaths in America this year to 42, according to the Officer Down Memorial website. The figure includes 14 gunfire fatalities and five in the state of New York.
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