Syracuse officer and Onondaga County deputy killed in Salina shootout identified

Syracuse, N.Y. — Authorities released the names of a Syracuse police officer and Onondaga County sheriff’s deputy killed in a shootout in Salina Sunday night.

Syracuse police officer Michael E. Jensen and sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock were killed in a hail of gunfire in a suburban neighborhood, officials said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

The two officers and the suspect were all hit in the shooting around 8:51 p.m. on Darien Drive in Salina. The suspect also was killed.

Hoosock was in the backyard of a neighboring house when he was shot to death, Sheriff Toby Shelley said at the news conference. Hoosock had arrived at the scene on his own to assist the investigation, the sheriff said.

The shooter was standing on a deck in the backyard when he opened fire on Hoosock, who tried to take shelter behind a maple tree, Shelley said.

Jensen was killed after the gunman moved from the backyard into the front part of the house and confronted Syracuse police officers stationed there, Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said.

The shooter, Christopher R. Murphy, 33, of Salina, was killed in the ensuing gunfight, authorities have said.

Hoosock had been with the sheriff’s office for 16 years, starting in September 2007. Hoosock was promoted to deputy sheriff sergeant in 2015 and was later transferred in 2021 to the criminal investigations division as a detective sergeant. A year later he became the bomb squad commander for the sheriff’s office.

Hoosock also had experience as a firefighter and paramedic. He volunteered with the Lyncourt Fire Department from 2002 to 2007 and the Moyers Corners Fire Department since 2007.

Hoosock was married with three young children, ages 3, 5 and 7.

Jensen graduated from the Syracuse Regional Police Academy in August 2022. Jensen had 2½ years on the force and was described as ambitious and hard-working, according to Cecile.

“He came to work yesterday with his typical bright smile, ear to ear, and his charming personality, that infectious, charming personality, that resonated so well with our members,” Syracuse police union president Joe Moran said at the news conference.

“An evil demon took him away from us, and Lt. Hoosock from his family and his children,” Moran continued. “There is not a dry eye at the Public Safety Building today, nor the sheriff’s headquarters.

The trouble started with a traffic stop at 7 p.m. in the city’s Tipp Hill neighborhood, Cecile said. That’s when Syracuse police tried to pull over a car, but the driver refused and sped off.

The driver went at speeds over 100 mph while fleeing, Cecile said.

Police took the plate number, which led them to a home on Darien Drive. There, police saw guns in the back of the car, Cecile said. And then, from inside the home, they heard the sound of a gun being readied to fire, he said.

It wasn’t long after that gunfire filled the little neighborhood as the officers and the suspect exchanged shots. Authorities did not know Monday how many total shots were fired, Shelley said.

Murphy was shooting a Springfield AR-15 gun, Shelley said. It was unclear Monday whether Murphy legally possessed the weapon, the sheriff added.

After the shooting, a man believed to have been with Murphy, named Shawn Kinsella, was caught trying to jump over a fence, Shelley said. That man has not been charged with any crime at this point, he said.

Kinsella lived on Trivet Drive South, one street over from Murphy, according to voter registration records.

It’s unclear why Murphy decided to ambush the officers, Shelley said.

Cecile said there was something in Murphy’s past which “may be some indicator” as to why Murphy shot two officers. He declined to provide specifics.

The shooter’s only prior interaction with police was a 2014 drunken driving arrest, which also included a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.

Shelley said officers have processed the area outside out of the Darien Drive home so far, and plan to examine the house Tuesday.

Staff writer Jon Moss contributed reporting.

Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or (315) 470-6070.

Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com.