DA: Police were justified in Regional Transportation Center shooting

Update: Deputies and officer who shot and killed a man last week are identified
May 9

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – Syracuse Police and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office have identified the officer and deputies involved in the shooting at the Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse on Thursday.

Police say 46-year-old Detective and Sergeant Anthony Rossillo, 24-year-old Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Hoosock and 27-year-old Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Quku fired the shots that killed Benjamin Campione.

According to the law enforcement agencies, Campione, 55, of Court Terrace in Syracuse, was shot after he got into a crouching position while threatening officers with a pellet gun designed to resemble a .357 Magnum. 

Sergeant Rossillo is a 25-year veteran of the Syracuse Police Department.

Deputies Hoosock and Quku are both assigned to the patrol division and involved with Operation IMPACT.

None of the these officers have been involved in an officer involved shooting before this incident

This case is still under investigation as more testing on the guns and bullets needs to be done.

No further information on this case will be released until after the Onondaga County District Attorneys’ Office completes its grand jury investigation.

RAW News Conference: Police Chief & Sheriff describe incident

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – During a joint press conference, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and the Syracuse Police released the identity of a man shot and killed by officers during an incident Thursday evening at the Regional Transportation Center.

According to the law enforcement agencies, Benjamin Campione, 55, of Court Terrace in Syracuse, was shot after he got into a crouching position while threatening officers with a pellet gun designed to resemble a .357 Magnum.  The incident happened around 6:46 p.m. Thursday.

Police said officers fired their weapons when Campione refused to drop the gun and pointed it at them.  At the time, officers did not know it was a pellet gun.

Campione was pronounced dead at University Hospital at 7:17 p.m.

Authorities said that Campione has an extensive history of mental problems and problems with the law. During the time of the incident, he was wanted on an open warrant for driving while intoxicated. His past infractions include criminal trespassing and attempted unlawful imprisonment.

The military veteran has also been treated for mental problems in the past, including schizophrenia. At the time of the incident, he had not been taking his proscribed medication.

Cops shoot, kill armed suspect near Regional Transportation Center
May 5


Report from the scene | Latest RAW Video | Press Conference | Slideshow

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - A suspect who pointed a gun at a team of officers was shot and killed near the Syracuse Regional Transportation Center on Thursday evening. The officers were called to the scene after employees of the Market Diner spotted the man's weapon.

Waitress Tami Zimmerman was working in the Market Diner, located at 2100 Park Street, and took the suspect's order. She says that he was acting strangely from the moment he walked in and the smell of alcohol was on his breath.

Inside the diner, the man took his jacket on and off, which allowed the other employees to notice he had a gun.

"It's scary...it's scary because my fiancé was right here having diner," Zimmerman said. "It's scary to think because when he was walking out you didn't know if he was going to turn around and do something."

The man didn't threaten anyone inside the diner, but when he left the employees called 911 because they saw him walking toward the Regional Transportation Center.

Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler says an Impact team, consisting of members of City Police and Sheriff's Deputies, was dispatched to the scene. They found the suspect in the parking lot of the Regional Transportation Center at 6:46 p.m., which is where the confrontation took place.

The officers fired their weapons when the suspect refused to drop his weapon and pointed his gun at them. It is unknown how many shots were fired, or how many times the suspect was hit. He was pronounced dead at University Hospital at 7:17 p.m.

It is a busy area, just across the street from the Carousel Mall, and Chief Fowler says there was concern about both public safety and officer safety. "This is what we're dealing with out here," Chief Folwer said. "Our officers take these chances each and every day they show up to work and our officers are willing to take these chances to keep not only the streets of the City of Syracuse safe but the streets of Onondaga County safe."

Park Street was closed while the shooting was investigated, but has since reopened. The Regional Transportation Center did not close during the investigation, buses were routed around the crime scene.

"There is a lot of work ahead of us in getting to the bottom of this," Chief Folwer said during a press conference Thursday evening.

The identity of the suspect will not be released until at least Friday, police say. The names of the officers and deputies involved will likely not be released for a few days. None of the officers were injured in the shooting.

A press conference with further details is expected sometime Friday.