Officers killed in upstate NY ambush, identified
Police set up a perimeter after two officers were shot near Syracuse, New York. (Scott Schild/The Post-Standard via AP)
LIVERPOOL, N.Y. - The police officer and a sheriff's deputy killed in an exchange of gunfire with a suspect, who also was killed, have been identified.
The deceased officers — identified as Officer Michael Jensen and Deputy Micheal Hoosock — were killed on Monday when a suspect opened fire on a group of law enforcement outside a residential home.
The Syracuse Police Department and Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office were tracking a vehicle that had eluded police earlier, Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile said during a press conference.
Two Syracuse police officers unsuccessfully attempted to stop a suspicious vehicle but got the license plate and tracked it to an address on Darien Drive in Liverpool. They requested assistance from the sheriff’s office after learning the suspect might be armed, Cecile said.
The officers found the vehicle at the home and saw what appeared to be guns inside the auto. They then "heard what sounded like someone manipulating a firearm from inside the residence," Cecile said.
Officer Michael Jensen, one of the two law enforcement officers killed in the shoot-out, was previously honored as Officer of the Month by the Syracuse Police Department for outstanding service. (Moyers Corners Fire Department, Fox News)
Jensen and Hoosock were shot — as well as the suspect, later identified as Christopher Murphy, 33.
All three were transported to Upstate University Hospital for urgent medical care but succumbed to their injuries.
In addition to serving as a sheriff's deputy, Hoosock was also the deputy chief of Moyers Corners Fire Department.
Sheriff's Deputy Michael Hoosock was one of the two law enforcement officers killed in the shoot-out. He also served as the deputy chief of Moyers Corners Fire Department, pictured here in his uniform. (Moyers Corners Fire Department, Fox News)
"To say [Hoosock] will be missed is an extreme understatement," the fire department said in a memorial statement. "Whether it was in the service of the Fire Department, Law Enforcement, or as an EMS provider, everyone knew how dedicated he was to the community."
Jensen, previously honored by the Syracuse Police Department as Officer of the Month in December 2023, was mourned by his fellow officers.
"Officer Jensen was extremely proud to wear the Syracuse Police badge, and help serve the City in which he resided," the Syracuse Police Department wrote in a statement. "Officer Michael Jensen, you will never be forgotten."
Fox News Digital contributed to this report.