Slain Syracuse officer Michael Jensen remembered for infectious smile and positive personality

Syracuse, N.Y. — As the club hockey coach at Le Moyne College, Bob Shattell had the chance to watch Michael Jensen grow from an 18-year-old freshman to a graduate with an MBA degree five years later.

“He was a phenomenal kid, from a phenomenal family, who became a phenomenal man,” the coach said. “Everything you’ve heard was right. He was a happy-go-lucky kid, always smiling, always happy.”

Jensen, 29, who went on to become a Syracuse police officer, was killed in a hail of gunfire in Salina Sunday night along with sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock, 37. The shooter, Christopher R. Murphy, 33, was killed by police.

Police officers, firefighters and others stood along city streets, bridges and highways Tuesday as a procession of a hearse escorted by about 200 police cars took his body from Syracuse to his hometown of Rome.

Friends and colleagues this week remembered Jensen for his sunny outlook and work ethic while noting his dedication and how he worked as a team player.

Jensen grew up in Rome, graduating in 2013 from Rome Free Academy. He played as a defenseman on the school’s ice hockey team, according to Greg Cuthbertson, the coach at the time.

Cuthbertson remembered Jensen as a nice kid who was a good teammate. Jensen was part of a group of students who helped turn around a Black Knights team coming off a poor record, he said.

“Just an easy kid that came to work every day, a smile on his face,” said Cuthbertson, who is now superintendent of the Oriskany Central School District.

Jensen spent five years at Le Moyne College, earning a bachelor’s in accounting in 2017 and an MBA in 2018.

He kept up with hockey on the club team at college, starting as a defenseman before playing four years as a forward, Shattell said. Jensen was Le Moyne’s rookie of the year during the 2013-14 season.

“His family was, and is, terrific,” said Shattell, who had a hard time keeping his composure when asked about Jensen during an interview. “They came to every game, brought pizza for us. He was cut from the same cloth.”

While Jensen was at Le Moyne, Cuthbertson said, he ran into him at the ice rink at Meachem Field in the Valley. The two had a quick conversation, Cuthbertson said, and Jensen was still his same personable self.

“He came up to me and we just started talking,” Cuthbertson said. “He’s kind of a kid you always recognize.”

In honor of Jensen and Hoosock, who also attended Le Moyne for a year, the college lowered the flags on the quad in front of Grewen Hall to half-staff, where they will remain until Monday, according to spokesperson Joseph Della Posta.

After getting his undergraduate degree, Jensen joined Bankers Healthcare Group in June 2017 as an accounting clerk, according to company spokesperson Meredith Crawford. He was known during his two years at the company for his passion, commitment and an “infectious smile,” she said.

“Mike exemplified the qualities of a leader and team player,” Crawford said. “He approached every task with enthusiasm and dedication, and his positive attitude lifted the spirits of everyone around him.”

Jensen left Bankers in December 2019. From January 2020 to February 2022 he worked at the Turning Stone Casino Resort, first as an associate accountant, and then was promoted to staff accountant in his second year, said Joel Barkin, spokesman for the casino.

While at Turning Stone, in September 2020, he took the civil service exam, according to county records. He officially joined the Syracuse Police Department in February 2022. He graduated from the Syracuse Regional Police Academy in August 2022.

Jensen was “very active, very proactive” as an officer in the patrol division, according to Police Chief Joseph Cecile, who said he would always come in with “numbers.” He earned an officer of the month award four months ago.

He was a “dedicated” member of the police detail at Destiny USA, the mall said in a Facebook post.

Jensen was known by his fellow officers for his charming personality, according to Joseph Moran, the president of the Syracuse Police Benevolent Association.

“He came to work [Sunday] with his typical bright smile, ear to ear,” Moran said.

Moran said Jensen was gunned down while doing what he was supposed to: enforcing the law.

“To make the city of Syracuse a better place, to make the city of Syracuse a safer place,” he said.

It was clear Jensen took the responsibility of being a police officer seriously, Cecile said, and was proud to don his uniform each day.

He “would have had a lengthy, productive career,” Cecile said, “if this maniac hadn’t decided to gun him down.”

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Did you know Officer Michael Jensen? If you would like to share memories or information about him, contact staff writers Jon Moss at jmoss@syracuse.com and Don Cazentre at dcazentre@syracuse.com.