A Syracuse police officer and an Onondaga County deputy were killed Sunday night during a stolen vehicle investigation.
The two law enforcement officers were part of an investigation into a possible stolen vehicle, Syracuse Police said, beginning when two city police officers attempted to pull over a suspicious vehicle, according to WSYR.
The vehicle fled the scene, while officers used license plate information to track the registered owner’s home.
“They asked for assistance from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office because they learned additional information the individual driving the vehicle might be armed,” Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said at a news conference early Monday morning. “Officers from the city and county arrived at the residence on Darien Drive about the same time.”
The officers found the vehicle parked outside and “saw what appeared to be guns inside,” Cecile said. At about the same time, he said, “they heard what sounded like someone manipulating a firearm from inside the residence.”
Within seconds, gunfire erupted.
At least one suspect inside the home exchanged gunfire with the officers and deputies outside. The two officers and the suspect were hit, and all three were transported to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where they were pronounced dead, WABC reported.
“We lost two heroes tonight,” Cecile said.
Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelly said investigators were obtaining search warrants for the house where the shooting took place.
Investigators don’t yet know how many rounds were fired and by whom, Police haven’t said how many officers were on the scene at the time of the shooting.
The names of the slain officers and the suspect have not been released.
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[Featured image: Shutterstock]
