Afternoon News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on February 20, 2024
A gang member has pleaded guilty to drug and weapon charges following an investigation that stemmed from the shooting death of a Rochester police officer. Prosecutors announced Today that 31 year old Rasheem “Coop” Sullivan of Rochester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sullivan is the self-proclaimed leader of a local subset of the Bloods known as the Immortal Stone Gorilla Gang. Sullivan and several other gang members were arrested in December 2022 after a search uncovered drugs, cash and “numerous” guns, including a loaded Glock 10 mm pistol inside Sullivan’s home. Sullivan was the person who hired the gunman from Boston who shot and killed Officer Mazurkiewicz. Sullivan’s plea carries at least five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
A new report on the city’s Emergency Medical Services evaluates the system and provides recommendations for improved services. This comes a few months after a man was forced out of an AMR ambulance in Rochester during a medical crisis and later died. Saturday, the city released a report that evaluates the EMS system based on data from 2017 to 2021. It suggests seven alternative EMS models for the city to consider. One of the options would involve the Rochester Fire Department transporting all patients. Another would only assign RFD to critical patients. Dr. Jeremy Cushman, Rochester’s EMS medical director, said the city is now exploring additional investments to stabilize and improve the system. The city is now in contract discussions with AMR. Its current contract with the company is set to expire in November.
Rochester police are still on the lookout for the driver who was involved in a hit-and-run. According to authorities, a man was run over after being attacked during a fight at the corner of Boardman Street and Monroe Avenue early Saturday morning. The 25-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for upper body injuries. So far, there has been no arrest made in this case.
Catholic Charities of Buffalo is looking for some caring people to join its free Home Visitation and Friendly Phones program in Genesee and Orleans County. The job is to either visit in person or make phone calls to individuals who are homebound and 60 and over. These would be 1 hour weekly visits to help fight loneliness with regular socialization. Volunteers engage in friendly conversation and partake in activities such as board games, puzzles, and crafts. Volunteers do not help with personal or medical care, banking, shopping or transportation. If interested, please call Catholic Charities at 585-343-0614.
Humans aren’t the only ones who will experience the total solar eclipse in Western NY our animal friends will also get to experience this unique daytime darkness. Western NY hasn’t seen a total solar eclipse since 1925. Buffalo Zoo will be conducting a study and inviting the public to join them on April 8th during the Total Solar Eclipse. They predict that the animals will think it’s night time and try to go to sleep.
Dozens of Buffalo area business owners met Monday to discuss new regulations that they believe will also impact consumers. The New York State DEC proposed new regulation surrounding Hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs. The compound is commonly found in refrigeration, air-conditioning and aerosols, but scientists say it’s harmful to the environment. New regulations seek to phase out HFC refrigerants in the state by 2034. However, it doesn’t completely align with the EPA’s new phase down. The state is more aggressive than the federal rules. The state says the goal of this change is to implement recommendations of the Climate Action Council Scoping Plan necessary to achieve required statewide emission limits. Critics say it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in retrofitting equipment and buying new equipment.
