Rochester police officer fatally shot and another injured, affiliate reports

A Rochester police officer was fatally shot and another injured after a gunman opened fire on them on Thursday night, according to a local NBC affiliate that cited sources.

The Rochester Police Department said a male suspect had approached the two officers and opened fire on them in the area of Bauman Street at around 9:15 p.m., according to WHEC, an NBC affiliate based in Rochester. The officers had been working their detail at the time of the shooting, police said.

One officer was transported to Rochester General Hospital and another officer was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital. 

Sources later confirmed to WHEC that one of the officers had died. The condition of the other police officer injured was not immediately clear.

In a statement to NBC News, Rochester Police Department Lt. Greg Bello said the force had not yet released any formal updates on the officers’ conditions. “There is no official verification,” he said when asked to confirm the reported death of one of the officers.

Police did not provide further details on the incident or information on any potential suspects.

They said further information would be provided at a press conference early Friday morning.

“Our police officers are out there sacrificing their lives for us every day,” Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said after the shooting, according to WROC, a television station in Rochester affiliated with CBS.

“They perform their jobs in dangerous conditions as we go about our daily lives and we owe them a great debt of gratitude,” Evans said. “I pray for the comfort of the officers shot tonight, and for their families, friends, and all of their fellow first responders.”

The deadly shooting unfolded hours after Evans declared a gun violence state of emergency in response to a “surge in shootings and deadly shootings” in the city.

On Thursday morning, he signed signed a proclamation declaring the state of emergency, which was set to go into affect at 12 p.m. that day.

In the proclamation, Evans said that as of Thursday morning, there had been at least 202 shooting victims so far this year, with the city’s homicides totaling 41 as of the same date. He said that at least 34, or 82 percent, of those homicides involved the use of a firearm.