Big loss for Moyers Corners

TOWN OF SALINA – One of the two law enforcement officers shot to death on Darien Drive on Sunday night, April 14, in the town of Salina – sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock – was a longtime volunteer with the Moyers Corners Fire Department.
Also slain that day was Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen, who was 29 years old. Jensen and his fellow officers at the scene returned fire and killed the shooter, Christopher R. Murphy, who lived at 4945 Darien Drive.
Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley said that Hoosock, 37, was ambushed by Murphy in a neighbor’s backyard while Jensen was shot in the front of the Murphy household.
Investigators found that Murphy had been firing a Springfield Armory AR 15 semi-automatic rifle with an illegal 40-round magazine.
Hoosock was a resident of the town of Clay where he lived with his wife and three children. The family attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in North Syracuse. He grew up in the town of Salina, specifically Lyncourt.
Jensen, who had served just two-and-a-half years with the SPD, was a native of Rome, N.Y. In Syracuse, he resided on Tipperary Hill.
Hoosock was known at Moyers Corners by his nickname, “Hootch.” He was a former deputy chief of the department. He was also the commander of the sheriff’s office bomb squad.
Last month Hoosock led a bomb squad team to Liverpool where they removed a live grenade that had been discovered at the village historian’s office at the Gleason Mansion.
Hoosock’s sudden death shook his fellow firefighters in Clay.
“I can’t tell you the amount of emotions that went through my head at the time,” said Moyers Corners Fire Chief Mike Brown. “Disbelief, shock, heartbreaking. It was very emotional.”
Hoosock was a versatile first responder. He was also employed as a paramedic with Rural Metro Syracuse, and its successor, AMR of Central New York, as well as with the Manlius Fire Department.
With Moyers Corners, Hootch served as a lieutenant and captain out of Station 2 from 2010-2015, chief of the second sattalion from 2015-2017, and concluded his stint in the chief’s office as the second deputy chief in 2018.
Brown described Hoosock as “one of the guys that would give you the shirt off his back if you asked. You could call him anytime day or night, he’d come out and give you a hand.”
Over his 16 years with the sheriff’s office, Hoosock filled many roles. He started as a road deputy, was promoted to patrol sergeant, and finally a watch commander as a lieutenant while also working on special assignments including the bomb squad, SWAT, AIR-1 and with the warrants squad.
Former sheriff’s Lt. Jon Anderson admired Hoosock.
“He was very well-liked and respected by his subordinate officers, peers, colleagues and supervisory officers,” Anderson said. “He had such potential.”