News Release - Statement from Mayor Robert J. Duffy Regarding Shooting of Two Police Officers

City of Rochester

News Release 

(Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009) – Rochester Police Officers are among the most courageous men and women imaginable and this despicable act of violence and cowardice underscores why this is so true. These two officers came within inches of losing their lives in the act of doing what police officers are asked to do every day – responding to a call for help, rushing toward a violent situation from which most people would, and should, go the other way.

Any time a person fires a gun at a uniformed police officer, it represents a level of depravity that should prompt us all to outrage. Police officers swear an oath to protect and serve their community, and an act of violence against one of them is an act of violence against the entire community.

While the injuries have been classified as non-life threatening, we must not lose sight of the fact that these gunshot wounds are painful and brutal, and are certainly life-altering.

I thank God that we are not mourning the loss of their lives, but this incident also serves to remind me of why I am so deeply proud of the men and women of the Rochester Police Department. My thoughts and prayers will stay with these officers and their families as they progress toward recovery.

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News media:
For more information, contact Communications Director Gary Walker at 428-7405.

SEE ALSO

Crime Prevention