Officers shot and killed man who shot at them
SYRACUSE -- Two Syracuse police detectives explained what happened on April 13, 2009 when they suddenly found themselves in a shootout with a wanted parolee. Detective Richard Curran lifted up the bulletproof vest he was wearing that night pointing to the spot where the bullet pierced the fabric he said, "that's where the .357 round penetrated the vest when I was shot at Ballantyne." The two officers will be honored next month for their actions that night during a ceremony in Washington D.C.
Detectives Rich Curran and Edward Falkowski both worked in the Special Investigations Division at the time. They had heard an officer's safety bulletin that alerted them to a wanted parolee named James Tyson who was considered armed and dangerous. They came across his car. They waited for him to get in it. They went less than a block before Tyson pulled into a laundromat at Ballantyne Road and South Salina Streets.
When Tyson stepped out of the car a struggle ensued. A Taser blast did not subdue him. He reached for a .357 revolver in his waistband. The gun was inches from Falkowski's head when Tyson fired. "I knew it was gunshot, I Immediately thought I was shot," Falkowski said. "I thought I was dead."
On the scene that night Syracuse Police Chief Gary Miguel said, "We are very, very fortunate we didn't have an officer lose his life tonight." Tyson fired at Detective Curran from just a few feet away. One bullet caught the kevlar vest. The other grazed over his shoulder. "I heard the loud gunshot we were between the two cars. I turned right I began to run to take a position of cover," recalled Curran. "I took two steps. I heard the second gunshot. I felt the sharp stinging sensation in my left lower back."
Curran and Falkowski both got up and pursued Tyson. They both returned his fire as he tried to escape. Tyson was gunned down and died in the front lawn of a neighboring home. The officers then both realized they had been shot and might be badly injured. They were taken to the hospital. Falkowski with a ruptured ear drum, Curran with a wound from the bullet penetrating his vest and pressing one inch into his flesh.
It would take five months for Detective Curran to return to the job. Detective Falkowski took longer after having surgery to restore his hearing he continued to have migraine headaches, fatigue and pain. A Grand Jury cleared them for any wrong doing. They have both changed their duties, but have spent some time on the streets after initially clearing the emotional hurdle of wondering whether they might be shot again.
Now they are among a handful of officers nationwide who will be honored by the TOP COPS program during a special ceremony in Washington on May 14th.
This was not the first time firing their service weapons for either officer, but it has left a lasting impression. Detective Curran said about that night, "We're doing our job with our training its automatic. Officers in this department and other departments do the same thing every day catching guys with guns. chasing bad guys." His partner that night went on to say, "It's unfortunate we live in a violent time. When bad guys have access to firearms and we seetime and time again their willingness to shoot other people including police officers."
