‘You start praying’: Neighbor describes watching officers treated at shooting scene

SALINA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — When the shots rang out Sunday night, David Stott gathered his family, including his young daughter, and led them to the basement for safety.

Then came the sirens of first responders.

“All of a sudden all of the police in the area, all of them, just showed up and responded to take care of the situation,” Stott said.

And on his front lawn, wounded Officer Michael Jensen and Lieutenant Michael Hoosock, and desperate attempts to save their lives.

“It’s difficult to see them working on an officer and you start praying,” said Stott. “From there, you see the faces of people. They’re police officers, that’s what they do. But they are people.”

For Stott, not only was it heartbreaking, it was life-changing.

“To find out shortly after, he was taken away and it was one of the officers, it just hits you,” he said. “Here’s a person who had plans today and has a family.”

And in this suburban neighborhood filled with families, it was shocking to learn the shootout happened at this house.

“It’s a family that had the big candy bars or at Christmas we’d go there and do the Santa thing with the fire department,” Stott said. “They’d invite you in for donuts and cider.”

A night that forever changed this Central New York neighborhood.

“No one wants to have this happen,” Stott said.