A man was shot and killed by Ithaca police yesterday after hitting a police officer with his vehicle. The incident, which took place in the parking lot of Pete’s Grocery on West Buffalo Street, occurred after police approached the man and attempted to take him into custody as part of a narcotics investigation.
The man physically resisted arrest and drove his vehicle over a curb, hitting the officer, according to a press release from the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the statement, “The officer fell to the ground, directly in the path of the vehicle, which continued to accelerate toward him. Acting upon belief that the police officer’s life was in danger, an Ithaca Police Officer discharged his weapon.”
The suspect was struck by one or more rounds and was pronounced dead at Cayuga Medical Center. The officer was also transported to Cayuga Medical Center, where he was treated and released.
The District Attorney’s office refused to release either party’s name.
The incident, which occurred around 5 p.m. yesterday, was a result of a narcotics investigation led by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, along with the Ithaca and Dryden Police Departments and the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department, according to the statement. Police obtained a search warrant for the man and approached him while he was parked in his vehicle outside Pete’s Grocery.
A news conference about the shooting is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Ithaca City Hall today.
Original Author: Michael Linhorst