Police suspend chase, truck headed north, possibly toward Oswego County
Police Chief Frank Fowler (center), Deputy Police Chief Joe Cecile (left) and an unidentified police sergeant look over the shooting scene at North Alvord and Pond streets this evening.Update 10:50 p.m.:Syracuse police located the truck hidden in woods in Oswego County and have a brought a man in for questioning. The man was not identified.
Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse police officer fired a shot from his service weapon after a man in a suspected stolen pickup truck drove onto a sidewalk on Syracuse's Northside in an attempt to hit police officers, police said.
After the shooting, the man drove off, prompting a police chase across the city's Northside before the chase was called off because the time of day made it unsafe, Sgt. Tom Connellan said.
A man called the Onondaga County 911 Center and said his truck had been stolen, Connellan said. The man said the white pickup truck with a dump box was stolen earlier in the day and that he had spent the day driving around Syracuse looking for it, Connellan said. The man did find the pickup truck and began following it in another pickup truck. He gave 911 his location as he followed.
At 5:43 p.m., police pulled the stolen vehicle over at North Alvord and Pond streets, Connellan said. The man in the stolen vehicle drove suddenly foward as two officers approached the car, striking a parked minivan on the front left fender, Connellan said.
The man backed the truck up, then threw the pickup into drive and accelerated onto a sidewalk at police officers in an attempt to strike them, Connellan said. One officer had to push himself off the moving truck to avoid being injured. That officer fired one shot into the stolen truck, Connellan said.
Police began chasing the truck. The chase went through the Northside and onto Court Street at one time. Stop sticks were deployed but failed to stop the truck and the chase was suspended, Connellan said.
Police believe they know the identity of the truck thief and the truck may be heading towards Oswego County, Connellan said. Police in that county have been notified.
Police have blocked off the intersection while they investigate. It is unknown when the intersection will reopen.