Standoff Leaves 2 N.Y. Police Officers Shot After Machete Attack
What to know
- A Syracuse man allegedly injured two dogs with a machete Saturday morning before a confrontation escalated into a police shooting and a six‑hour standoff at a downtown housing complex.
- Police said the suspect later fired a shotgun at police officers executing a search warrant, striking two officers and injuring a third before surrendering.
- The dogs are expected to survive, the injured officers were treated and released, and the suspect now faces attempted murder, weapons and animal cruelty charges.
SYRACUSE, NY—Two dogs were injured in a machete attack that sparked a police shooting and a six-hour standoff at Pioneer Homes in Syracuse on Saturday, police said.
One of the dogs, a male, was stabbed in the head with the machete, according to Sgt. Thomas Blake, a spokesperson for the Syracuse Police Department. The dog had to be taken for emergency care at a veterinary hospital, he said.
Rodney Vanderpool, 55, of Syracuse, repeatedly swung a machete at a man walking two dogs on leashes Saturday morning at Tyler Court in Syracuse, according to a criminal complaint filed in Syracuse city court. Police said in the documents that Vanderpool missed the man but hit both dogs because they were standing close to him, causing severe cuts.
The dogs, pit bull mixes, a male and a female, are in stable condition Sunday and expected to survive, Blake said.
The machete incident was part of a larger confrontation Saturday that escalated into a six-hour standoff with Syracuse police at the housing complex near downtown Syracuse.
Around 6 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to reports of a man menacing people with a machete, Police Chief Mark Rusin said Saturday.
Vanderpool confronted a man with a machete and swung at him but hit the dogs, according to an accusatory document filed in Syracuse City Court. He then retreated into his apartment at 120 Tyler Court.
Rusin said officers returned around 9:30 a.m. with a search warrant. As they tried to execute it, Vanderpool pointed the shotgun directly at officers before he opened fire, hitting two officers and injuring a third by a ricochet that hit his hand, police and court documents said.
The shooting was captured on body-worn camera, according to court documents.
All three were taken to Upstate University Hospital. They have all since been released, Blake said Sunday. All of the officers are OK, he added.
During the standoff, police said Vanderpool continued firing shots from inside his apartment. Gunfire could be heard throughout the late morning and early afternoon.
More than 100 officers responded from roughly a dozen agencies, including Syracuse Police, Syracuse SWAT, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, State Police, the FBI, and the ATF.
Drones and a sheriff’s helicopter were also used as authorities worked to locate Vanderpool inside the building, Rusin said.
Rusin said officers tried to communicate with Vanderpool using cell phones and a long-range acoustic device, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Around 3:15 p.m., Vanderpool walked out of the apartment with his hands up and was taken into custody, police said.
Vanderpool was charged with:
- Attempted murder, first degree, three counts
- Attempted assault, second degree
- Criminal use of a firearm, first degree.
- Menacing, second-degree
- Criminal possession of a weapon, fourth degree
- Aggravated cruelty to animals under the Agriculture and Markets Law
Vanderpool’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 15.
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