PDA

View Full Version : Deputy Sheriff Kevin J. Tarsia, Broome County Sheriff's Office, NY


MrJim911
07-07-2002, 12:00
Cause of Death: Gunfire
End of Watch: July 04, 2002
Date of Incident: July 04, 2002
Age: 36 Tour of Duty: 13 yrs
Suspect Info: At large
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun

Deputy Tarsia was shot and killed in Kirkwood, New York, at approximately 0400 hours when he encountered possible suspects from a firearms store burglary in Pennsylvania. Deputy Tarsia was patrolling Grange Hall Park, just above the New York - Pennsylvania border, when the incident occurred. Deputy Tarsia was overpowered and shot with his own .40 caliber Glock service weapon. The suspect(s) fled the scene and remain at large.
Deputy Tarsia was the first deputy from his agency to be killed in the line of duty since the agency was created in 1806. He had been with the agency for 13 years.

The following is an email from a fellow officer friend of Kevins:

""" Not many facts right now...
What we do know...
Kevin was on his way to his house on Grange Hall Road (in Kirkwood near PA border on Route 11). There is a small park just off Route 11 on Grange Hall Road. He must have seen people in the park and went in to check it out. No radio broadcast was made by his unit to dispatch. He got in a gunfight and fired his Glock dry. He was shot twice in the head and 15 times in the chest with an AR-15 .223 then run over by a vehicle. No idea yet who or how many perps involved.
There was a burglary in Montrose at Mess's Fireworks and Gunshop, many guns taken along with some fireworks. The truck used in that burglary was left in the park where Kevin was found along with several firearms taken in the burglary. Police surmise Kevin encountered them there while they were changing vehicles and he was murdered. His Glock and shotgun from trunk were taken. Lots of physical evidence at scene and lots of tips so far too. BCSD, NYSP, and FBI working case. I think we have detectives there too. His funeral will Tuesday the 9th at St Stan's on Prospect Street Binghamton.
Just what I want to do....another cop funeral. We just went to a Troopers in March who was related to my buddy that works BPD.
Sometimes this job really sucks!"""

The following is another email received on July 6th:

""" 3 were arrested for the murder today. One admitted to firing an AK-47 at him striking him 15 times. The other admitted driving over him and then firing 2 shots into his face. The last was just out for a ride with the other 2."""

legend
07-07-2002, 15:35
At 4AM why would he go into the park if he was on his way home? What was it he saw that maded him suspicious?, and why didnt he inform dispatch what he was doing and his 20? was it an attempted burglary of the gun shop? This just doesnt sound like an officer that has been on the job for 13 years?

JimSpoor
07-07-2002, 21:14
The local paper (Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin) is not publishing many details but it seems that as Tarsia was enroute to his house for meal he spotted at least two vehicles and unknown persons in the park. He probably pulled into the park "just to see". It appears that the suspects opened fire without warning. There may have simply been no time to pick up the radio. He was found dead immediately next to his cruiser. It appears that the suspects were moving the stolen guns from the stolen pickup used to enter the store into another vehicle.

P.S. the park is only about 1/4 mi. from his house on the same road.

P.P.S The county admitted to having problems with one of the four repeaters that cover the county during the time of this incident but say Deputy Tarsia did not attempt to use his radio.

He will be missed.

unit83
09-23-2003, 16:01
:crying2: Knew Kevin well, worked with him for several years at Broome County. Problem with many small agencies is they have "couldn't happen to me" syndrome. We tend to get very comfortable. It was always our SOP to let communications know what you were doing and where.