Brother Of Mentally Ill Syracuse Man Killed By Police Calls Heroes Award “Distasteful”
By Douglass Dowty Syracuse Post-Standard January 26, 2012
The brother of a mentally ill man shot and killed by police May 5 called a sheriff’s deputy award given to two of the deputies “distasteful.”
Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputies Michael Hoosock and Adam Quku received Deputy of the Year awards Wednesday at the annual New York State Sheriff’s Association’s annual Heroes Luncheon at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.
Benjamin Campione was killed after authorities said he crouched in a shooting stance and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at police. The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun.
“I find it a lack of compassion for my family, a slap to the face, that these men would accept this honor in shooting my brother,” said Victor Campione.
Read more about the Benjamin Campione case
Hoosock and Quku were honored for their actions after responding to a call about an armed man at the Central New York Regional Market. When they arrived, along with a Syracuse police officer, they approached Campione, who drew what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband and assumed a shooting stance, police said at the time.
Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh said he stressed the professionalism of the deputies during his remarks Wednesday at the awards luncheon.
“They reacted properly, as they’re trained, and that’s the substance of the award,” the sheriff said. “There’s always going to be somebody who may have been a victim, and something that might be difficult for the family members, but it’s how the officers acted.”
Victor Campione said receiving an award for killing a mentally ill man was not right.
“I find it completely distasteful. It’s like we’re reliving this all over again,” he said.
A grand jury found the officers were justified. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said the officers “acted bravely and appropriately under the circumstances, consistent with their training.”
Victor Campione noted the five police shootings in Syracuse in 2011. “For a city the size of Syracuse, there have been way too many shootings in the past year,” he said. Syracuse police — not deputies — were involved in the other four.
The deceased man’s brother, a former Clay police officer, said he understands the officers were acting under stress.
“I will always have a love and respect for law enforcement,” Victor Campione said. “Unfortunately, in this case, there are too many questions.”
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