Update: 11:45 a.m., The slain officer was identified as 32-year-old Daryl Pierson.
There's more information coming out about the fatal shooting of a Rochester Police Officer on Wednesday night. Media reports now indicate the suspect, who survived the incident, is 38 year old Thomas Johnson, a recent parolee. Strong Hospital says he's listed in guarded condition.
The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday near Hudson Avenue and Warsaw Street when the officer was in pursuit of Johnson. Ciminelli says during the pursuit there was an exchange of gunfire, and the officer suffered a fatal wound.
The officer, whose name was not immediately released, was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The chief says the suspect was also shot and wounded. He says there are no other suspects. Ciminelli says an innocent bystander was also hit by gunfire, but the wound is not life threatening.
The Democrat & Chronicle reports that Johnson was released from prison in August after serving a year for violating parole, and that he'd previously served three years for an attempted robbery.
Ciminelli says the officer gave his life in the line of duty, and made the “ultimate sacrifice protecting the people of the City of Rochester.”
Also at the news conference, Mayor Lovely Warren said that words “cannot express the sense of sorrow and deep loss that we feel at this moment.” She went on to say that, “A family has lost a loved one, the men and women of our police department have lost a family member and a friend, and we the people of Rochester have lost someone who like every other RPD officer, put their life on the line, day after day for us.”
City Council President Loretta Scott issued a statement saying that City Council would like to offer its sincere condolences to the family of the RPD officer and said that, “Our community owes a debt of gratitude to this officer who ultimately gave his life protecting and serving our city. “
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks also issued a statement saying that she joins the entire community in grieving the loss of the RPD officer and said that the county will continue to offer the full weight of its public safety resources to the RPD and other agencies to ensure “this heinous crime is met with swift and deserving justice.”
Sheriff’s Deputies helped patrol the city while RPD officers were tied up dealing with the shooting of one of their officers. Many officers from various departments gathered at the hospital late Wednesday night and others were briefed at the public safety building in Rochester.
