The Onondaga County Sheriff’s office is trying to piece together what led to the fatal shooting of two teen-age suspects by a deputy early Wednesday morning after they attempted to run him over with a stolen vehicle. Sheriff Toby Shelley says it began Tuesday night near James Street and Hixson in Syracuse when two vehicles are reported stolen and used in a pair of burglaries.
“We know for a fact they went to the city of Oneida to a smoke shop," Shelley said. "Then we know for a fact that they went to the smoke shop across from the fire department in Mattydale on Molloy Rd. Then we know that they went to Danzig and on Danzig, you'll see them swapping proceeds from the burglaries around the vehicles, like dividing them up or something.”
Shelley says that’s when the deputy responding to the burglar alarm in Mattydale arrives on Danzig. One vehicle with three suspects flees the scene.
“The other vehicle attempts to run our deputy over. He fires three shots," Shelley said. "The vehicle leaves the scene. Soon thereafter, the vehicle involved on Danzig Ave. is called out on Mooney Ave. as an accident. One of our sergeants responds to Mooney Ave. Our sergeant finds one of the occupants of the vehicle deceased.”
Shelley says one other suspect in that vehicle was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The third suspect fled. Shelley says video from the person who called in the suspicious activity on Danzig Avenue is key evidence. He says it shows that the deputy had "nowhere to go" in order to get out of the path of the charging vehicle.
On Wednesday, Shelley did not release much information about the deceased suspects, only that one or both likely weren’t old enough to drive. Per policy, the deputy is on 72 hours of administrative leave. He was uninjured. Shelley says Syracuse Police and Oneida Police are also investigating. State law requires the attorney general’s office to investigate any shooting incident involving a law enforcement officer. Attorney General Letitia James confirmed in a release Wednesday evening that her office is investigating.
