SYRACUSE --
Longtime Christian Brothers Academy baseball coach Thomas Dotterer, 77, is back in critical condition, after he was shot in the eye in an armed robbery at his liquor store on Syracuse’s north side.
Dotterer owns Syracuse Wine and Spirits at 1428 North Salina Street.
Police say Dotterer was robbed at gunpoint by two black men just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. One of the suspects shot him in the eye. At this time, investigators don't know what sort of gun was used. They say it may have been a small caliber gun, or a pellet gun.
Dotterer was taken to Upstate University Hospital in critical condition. After surgery to repair his eye, he was upgraded to serious, but stable condition, Thursday morning. Then, as of 3:30 p.m., police said Coach Dotterer was back in critical condition.
Now, they're making it a top priority to find out who shot Coach Dotterer.
Witnesses say the suspects left the store in a maroon Pontiac, and were last seen driving east on Bear Street.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that this situation could be connected to another armed robbery that happened just before 6:30 p.m. Thursday, along the 200 block of Taft Avenue.
Police arrested Dios Miller Harris, 18, in regards to that instance.
"Right now we are making an extreme amount of progress in the investigation. We're still reaching out to the public, asking anyone that may have any information in regards to either of these robberies to give us a call," says Sergeant Tom Connellan, of Syracuse Police.
If you have any information that could help, call Syracuse Police at 442-5222.
This is not the first times someone has tried to rob Dotterer’s store.
In 2005, Rochaun Morris, 30, hit Dotterer over the head with a bottle in an attempt to rob the store, but he fought back and stopped the robbery. Dotterer was 69 at the time.
Dotterer has been head baseball coach at CBA since 1980.
He graduated from CBA in 1953 and is a member of the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame.
According to the Hall of Fame, Dotterer was a professional baseball player for about 10 years. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds and played in the minor leagues, including the Syracuse Chiefs. Dotterer was recognized as The Post-Standard’s All-CNY Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2008.
