Man charged with attempted murder of RPD officer

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — A man was charged with the attempted aggravated murder after Rochester police said he fired a shot at an officer on Thursday night.

The Rochester Police Department said that Isiah Williams, 27, fired at an officer during a chase. No one was shot during the case.

Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans made a statement regarding the May 19 assault on police officers:

"For the second time this month, Rochester Police Department officers were on the receiving end of gunfire as they responded to a call for help last night.

The propensity of a small number of people to not only carry illegal firearms but to use them indiscriminately continues to fuel the violence we are seeing on some of our city streets. These latest potentially deadly assaults on police officers illustrate the depth of the challenges we continue to face related to violence in our community.

I remain sincerely grateful for all the officers of the RPD who put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect and serve the people of Rochester."

It all started when RPD responded to a group of women fighting on Avenue D and Hoff Street. During the investigation, officers learned about a vehicle that crashed on nearby Kohlman Street. When an officer went to the vehicle, a man armed with a handgun, who police later identified as Williams, ran from the officer.

RPD said multiple officers began pursuing Williams down Avenue D when he fired at an officer. A second officer fired at Williams and he was soon taken into custody.

Police said they found an illegally possessed handgun on Williams when they caught him. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and with menacing a police officer, in addition to attempted murder.

Earlier this month, police say a parolee shot at RPD officers, hitting the porch pillar one of them was using as cover just four blocks north of Thursday night’s scene.

Lt. Greg Bello said Thursday’s incident was concerning for community safety.

"Obviously our primary concern is the safety and well-being of both the community and our officers," Bello said. "So this is another example right now of the dangers our officers are facing on a daily basis."