Syracuse officer slain in Salina shootout memorialized on CNY highway

WAER | By Chris Bolt

Published September 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM EDT

Head and shoulders shot of Syracuse Police officer Michael Jensen

A portion of State Route 46 in Rome will soon be dedicated to fallen Syracuse Police Officer Michael E. Jensen. Legislation to honor him was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul Monday.

Jensen was one of two officers killed in a standoff with a man in the town of Salina back in April, 2024, along with Onondaga County Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock.

Jensen grew up in the Rome area, graduated from Rome Free Academy, and went to Le Moyne College, earning a degree in criminology. State Senator Joe Griffo sponsored the legislation honoring Jensen, along with State Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon.

The Department of Transportation will put up signage along the stretch of highway honoring him in the next few months.

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Chris Bolt

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.

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