UPDATE: 2 teens killed in DeWitt by deputy who fired at vehicle which nearly ran deputy over, sheriff says
DeWitt, N.Y. — Two people were killed in an encounter with an officer Wednesday morning, according to the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.
A sheriff’s deputy was involved in a shooting in DeWitt, said Tom Newton, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
Around 6:18 a.m., county 911 dispatches reported a person called saying there was a suspicious person or persons in Midler Meadows Trailer Park in DeWitt, according to dispatch reports.
The caller reported a four-door car and a dark-colored mini-van with three or four males wearing dark clothing were moving items from one vehicle to another, dispatchers told police.
Officers told dispatchers that a burglary was reported 24 hours ago and the description of the vehicle involved matched the suspect vehicle, according to dispatch reports.
Moments later, an officer told dispatchers the van tried to run them over and that shots were fired.
The van drove off and headed west on Paznan Avenue. Then the vehicle was last seen on Danzig Street toward Baker Street near Midler Meadows trailer park area, police told dispatches.
Newton said the shooting at the mobile home park is connected to a shooting call reported off Teall Avenue shortly before 7 a.m. at Hixson and Mooney avenues, not far from James Street in Syracuse. A person was reported to be shot, according to the sheriff’s office.
Shortly after 8 a.m., the sheriff’s Air 1 helicopter was circling over the scene this morning.
The sheriff’s office has scheduled a news conference at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
A Syracuse police crime scene unit van was on the scene along with sheriff’s deputies as children waited nearby for the school bus.
Many police officers responded to the mobile home park.
By 11:31 a.m., police were still on the scene and blocking Danzig Street and Poznan Avenue.
Evidence technicians were seen collecting items and bringing them back to their cars.
The New York Attorney General’s Office told Syracuse.com | The Post Standard that it doing a preliminary assessment into whether the office will be involved. The AG’s office is tasked with looking into deaths caused by police officers across New York.
Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com