Officer Will Not Face Charges For Shooting Outside Open Door Mission

A Rochester police officer will not face charges for shooting a man who came at him with a butcher knife outside the Open Door Mission earlier this year.

A Monroe County Grand Jury has found no cause for action against Officer Matthew Drake in the death of Tyshon Jones on March tenth.

Early that morning, police got a report of a man entering the mission on West Main Street, and running away with a bucket of knives from the kitchen. Police located the man in the area of Cascade and Industrial Streets near the mission. The man, since identified as Tyshon Jones, appeared to be cutting himself with a large knife. Jones began advancing toward the officers, telling them he was dangerous and wanted to kill them. The officers backed off and called for an officer with a non-lethal beanbag gun.

Officer Drake lost his balance as he backed away and nearly fell. Jones closed the distance, still with the knife. At that point, Officer Drake fired five shots at Jones. All five shots struck and Jones was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.

The Grand Jury reviewed the evidence and body-worn camera footage before finding the officer's conduct justified.


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