2 New York Officers Shot and Killed Sunday in Gun Battle

A Syracuse, New York, Police officer and an Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputy were killed Sunday night in an exchange of gunfire with a suspect. The suspect was also killed.

The law enforcement officers have been identified as Officer Michael Jensen of the Syracuse Police Department and Lieutenant Michael Hoosock of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident began when Syracuse officers spotted a suspicious vehicle, according to a statement from the Syracuse Police on Facebook. Officers reportedly tried to stop the vehicle, and the driver refused to stop and fled.

During a press conference late Monday afternoon, authorities said that the suspect ran from the officers at speeds exceeding 100 mph.  

The officers lost the suspect’s vehicle. But using information from the license plate, officers traced the driver to a residence in Liverpool, New York. They called sheriff’s deputies for assistance.

Lt. Michael Hoosock was first on the scene and found the vehicle. Two other deputies arrived soon after, Onondaga Sheriff Toby Shelly said. The New York Post reports they found guns in the vehicle, which was suspected of being stolen.

Sheriff Shelly said Lt. Hoosock was seeking cover in an adjacent yard when he was ambushed and killed. The suspect reportedly fired on him with an AR-15 rifle from an open deck at the rear of his residence.

The suspect reportedly then went to the front of the home and opened fire on officers and deputies in that location. Officer Jensen was killed in an exchange of fire with the suspect, officials said.

The two wounded law enforcement officers were transported to a local hospital in sheriff’s vehicles, Sheriff Kelly said. They both died at the hospital.

The suspect, identified by authorities as 33-year-old Christopher Murphy, was wounded and also transported to the hospital. He is deceased.

Lt. Hoosock had just been promoted after years of service with the sheriff’s office. He was also a volunteer firefighter and a bomb tech. He is survived by his wife and three children, ages 3, 5, and 7.

Officer Jenkins had served with the Syracuse Police for two years.

Motive for the shooting has not been publicly discussed by law enforcement. The shooter’s only prior interaction with police was a 2014 drunken driving arrest, which also included a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest, Syracuse.com reports.

Another person believed to be a friend of the suspect was arrested at the scene. No charges have been filed.