Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Knoxboro, NY: Sheriff's deputy shot and killed in Knoxboro standoff

KNOXBORO, N.Y. (WKTV) - The Oneida County Sheriff's Department has confirmed to NEWSChannel 2 that Deputy Kurt Wyman, 24, was shot and killed during a standoff in Knoxboro in the Hamlet of Knoxboro in Southern Oneida County.

Members of Wyman's church were notified via text message Tuesday morning that he had been killed and his wife, who was pregnant and expecting their second baby Tuesday morning, had gone into labor.

Wyman's family was at St. Elizabeth Medical Center Tuesday morning along with numerous members of law enforcement.

Police were responding to a domestic incident at a home on Knoxboro Road where a man was barricaded in his garage. That man, 41-year-old Chris Patterson, reportedly shot the deputy when he and his fellow deputies tried to take him into custody.

No word on the injuries of the alleged gunman.

The domestic incident at the home originally involved Patterson's wife and child, but they were released early on without harm.

At a press conference held Tuesday morning, Sheriff Maciol explained that Wyman had been an active member of the Marine Corps as a Corporel and served overseas.

"He served with pride and he will be greatly missed," Sheriff Maciol said.

Maciol said the incident is still an active aggravated murder investigation, which limited the amount of information that could be released Tuesday morning.

"Our hearts go out to the Wyman family, and more importantly this law enforcemtn comunity that continues to protet us night and day who never understand what they face whenever they go out on a call," Oneida County Executive Anthoyn Picente said at the press conference.

Both Sheriff Maciol and County Executive Picente asked media to refrain from contacting the grieving family.

Patterson will be charged with aggravated murder, an A-1 felony, Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara said.

"The pnly punishment for it is life imprisonment without parole," D.A. McNamara said, who added that those charges will be filed when it is appropriate, pending Patterson's release from St. Elizabeth Medical Center, where he was still recovering from his injuries Tuesday morning.

The investigation is still ongoing, Sheriff Maciol said.

"His service to this country and this county were second to none," Sheriff Maciol said of Deputy Wyman.

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