Loved ones of slain men, RPD officer address Kelvin Vickers: ‘I hope you know the cuffs that were put on you were his’
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Kelvin Vickers – the man found guilty of killing Rochester Police Officer Tony Mazurkiewicz, wounding his partner, and killing two others – will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Judge Julie Hahn sentenced Vickers of Thursday morning after loved ones got a chance to give victim impact statements. Lynn Mazurkiewicz, the wife of Officer Mazurkiewicz, looked at the man who killed her husband as she spoke:
“I hope you know, the cuffs that were put on you that night, were his. I hope you know the cuffs that were put on you after you were convicted of his murder, were his.”
Lynn Mazurkiewicz
The mother of Ricky Collinge Jr. spoke first. It was Collinge’s murder that Officer Mazurkiewicz was investigating when he was killed. She called Vickers a monster but said for her own sake, she had to forgive him.
Dennis Cole, a former RPD officer and Officer Mazurkiewicz’s best friend, also spoke before the judge.
“You don’t deserve it, you didn’t earn it but for my own salvation, I forgive you” said Dennis Cole, former RPD and best friend of Tony Mazurkiewicz. “I pray you die a very slow and long death inside the walls of prison.”
Judge Hahn also spoke at the sentencing, saying to Vickers: “You have no value for human life at all, you are a prime example of the violence that plagues our community. You are an absolute menace and deserve to spend the rest of your life in jail.”
RPD Chief David Smith released this statement about the sentencing:
“Although today’s sentencing does not bring Maz back to us, it does serve to help the men and women of the Rochester Police Department begin to heal and move forward. I would like to thank Sandra Doorley from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Monroe County Court Judge Julie Hahn, and the members of the Jury, for all of their efforts throughout the trial process. The members of the Rochester Police Department will continue to bravely answer the call of service to protect our community from those that bring evil.”
The Locust Club, the union that represents RPD, released this statement:
“Today’s sentencing concludes a sad chapter for the City of Rochester, the Rochester Police Department and the men and women of the Rochester Police Locust Club. First and foremost, we want to continue to extend our love and support to the family of Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz who will always remain in our hearts as a friend, colleague and brother.”
“We also want to express our continued support to Officer Seng and his family as he continues his recovery from the injuries he sustained while courageously carrying out his duties. The Locust Club sends our condolences to the families of Richard Collinge and Myjel Rand who were also greatly affected by this. The Locust Club would like to express our gratitude to District Attorney Sandra Doorley and her staff at the district attorney’s office for their professionalism and skill in obtaining the verdict and sentence in this case.”
Last October, a jury found Vickers guilty on all charges he faced. Jurors decided that Vickers knew he was firing at police officers and found him guilty of aggravated murder, which caries a sentence of life without parole, and aggravated attempted murder.
Officer Mazurkiewicz and his partner Officer Sino Seng were ambushed in July 2022 while they were working undercover in their unmarked minivan. They were investigating the murders of Collinge Jr. and MyJel Rand that happened a day earlier on North Clinton Avenue. During the trial, Officer Seng testified about the moment when bullets started flying at his van.
Vickers was convicted of carrying out the ambush and killing both Collinge Jr. and Rand. Prosecutors said Vickers was a gang member brought in from Boston to kill rival marijuana dealers during a turf war. In total, Vickers faced 24 charges for crimes that happened in the span of three days in July 2022.
See our coverage of the trial here:
- VERDICT: Vickers found guilty of all charges
- VERDICT: Retired tactical officer speaks after man found guilty of killing his friend Officer Mazurkiewicz
- Day nine: Officer Sino Seng testifies about ambush that wounded him, killed partner
- Day five: Tactical officers testify about night of Officer Mazurkiewicz’s death
- Day four: District Attorney wraps up part of its case against Vickers
- Day two: Emotional day of testimony and evidence in Kelvin Vickers’ trial
- Day one: Victim’s family sits 10 feet from Vickers