The community is mourning after a devastating incident occurred on Sunday night in Syracuse when a city police officer and an Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputy were fatally shot while investigating a stolen vehicle report. Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile, visibly shaken, confirmed the deaths of the two officers at an early morning press conference held outside Upstate University Hospital.
The tragedy unfolded as the officers responded to a home on Darien Drive to follow up on a vehicle that had earlier evaded a police stop. Information about the vehicle led officers to the home in that neighborhood, suspecting that the driver could be armed. Upon arrival, city and county law enforcement collaborated at the scene.
As the officers inspected the vehicle, containing visible firearms, they encountered gunfire from within the residence, leading to a fatal exchange. Both the officer and the deputy, alongside the suspect, were transported to the hospital where they were pronounced dead. The community and fellow first responders gathered to honor the fallen heroes, marking a somber moment for Syracuse.