Rochester Police

Department
Ofce of the Chief
Michael L. Ciminelli
Media Release
September 4, 2014
Page 1 of 4
Synopsis of ncident !"" #$dson %&en$e
'ednesday Sept (, 2014
Approximately 9:19pm, RPD Tactical Officers stopped a vehicle. When
they first oserved the vehicle, it contained t!o people. When they stopped
it, there !as only one person in the vehicle.
At ao"t 9:#$pm, Officer DiPaola and Officer Pierson arrived as ac% "p
for this vehicle stop.
At ao"t 9:##pm, Officer DiPaola and Officer Pierson e&an to search the
area for the second individ"al !ho had een oserved in the vehicle. Officer
DiPaola !as drivin& the police vehicle and Officer Pierson !as the
passen&er.
At ao"t 9:#'pm, Officer DiPaola and Officer Pierson oserved an
individ"al matchin& the description of the second occ"pant of the vehicle.
Officer Pierson exited the police vehicle and approached the person !ho
)or more information or media re*$ests please contact the Rochester Police +epartment
P$blic nformation ,-cer . n&estigator /ac*$eline Sh$man at "0"1(2014"2"
mediare*$est3cityofrochester.go&
Respect Dedication - Professionalism
Rochester Police
Department
Ofce of the Chief
Michael L. Ciminelli
Media Release
matched the description. This individ"al immediately fled (o"tho"nd on
)"dson Aven"e.
Officer Pierson p"rs"ed this individ"al on foot, !hile Officer DiPaola
t"rned the police vehicle aro"nd to assist in the p"rs"it.

Officer Pierson ca"&ht "p to the s"spect at )"dson Aven"e and A&nes
(treet. At that point, the s"spect shot Officer Pierson one time !ith #'
calier hand&"n. This !o"nd proved to e fatal.
Officer Pierson and the s"spect oth fell to the &ro"nd. As they fell, the
s"spect*s #' calier hand&"n dischar&ed a second time. We elieve this
second shot from the s"spect*s hand&"n, str"c% the innocent ystander,
+amal ,oller, #- years of a&e ca"sin& a serio"s, "t a non.life threatenin&
in/"ry.
The s"spect then &ot "p and contin"ed to flee on foot. ,y that time, Officer
DiPaola exited his police vehicle and p"rs"ed the s"spect. As the s"spect
!as r"nnin&, he t"rned to fire at Officer DiPaola.
)or more information or media re*$ests please contact the Rochester Police +epartment
P$blic nformation ,-cer . n&estigator /ac*$eline Sh$man at "0"1(2014"2"
mediare*$est3cityofrochester.go&
Respect Dedication - Professionalism
Rochester Police
Department
Ofce of the Chief
Michael L. Ciminelli
Media Release
Officer DiPaola then fired one ro"nd at the s"spect !ith his RPD iss"ed
hand&"n. Officer DiPaola*s shot str"c% the s"spect ca"sin& a non.life
threatenin& in/"ry.
Officer DiPaola then apprehended the s"spect.
At ao"t this point, other RPD Officers arrived on scene, and then placed
Officer Pierson in a police vehicle, transportin& him to Rochester 0eneral
)ospital.
Officer Pierson !as prono"nced y Rochester 0eneral 1edical (taff at
1$:-'pm.
,oth the s"spect and 1r. ,oller !ere transported to (tron& 1emorial
)ospital for treatment. ,oller !as treated and released.
The s"spect "nder!ent s"r&ery at (tron& 1emorial )ospital, and is
c"rrently admitted to the hospital "nder police &"ard.
)or more information or media re*$ests please contact the Rochester Police +epartment
P$blic nformation ,-cer . n&estigator /ac*$eline Sh$man at "0"1(2014"2"
mediare*$est3cityofrochester.go&
Respect Dedication - Professionalism
Rochester Police
Department
Ofce of the Chief
Michael L. Ciminelli
Media Release
The s"spect has een identified as: Thomas +ohnson 222, a male, 34 years of
a&e. We later determined that 1r. +ohnson has an o"tstandin& Parole
Warrant.
)or more information or media re*$ests please contact the Rochester Police +epartment
P$blic nformation ,-cer . n&estigator /ac*$eline Sh$man at "0"1(2014"2"
mediare*$est3cityofrochester.go&
Respect Dedication - Professionalism