By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A roughly six-hour standoff Wednesday between U.S. Border Patrol agents and two men ended after the men got off a rooftop at 261 E. 7th St. in Oswego, New York, and left in waiting cars.
- Oswego police said they were initially called for a reckless-driving report, later learning federal agents were attempting to detain the men under a federal judicial warrant.
- City police and firefighters brought a ladder to the scene at the agents’ request; Mayor Robert Corradino said the city provided only equipment, not law enforcement assistance, and that the agents’ warrant had been verified by Oswego’s city attorney.
- A crowd that grew to more than 70 protesters gathered near the home, chanting for the agents to leave and demanding to see the warrant; one of the men on the roof knocked down the first ladder.
- Nearby Charles Riley Elementary School went into a “lockout” with enhanced dismissal procedures as a precaution; U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it would provide information on the incident Thursday.
OSWEGO, N.Y. — A standoff between U.S. Border Patrol agents and two men on a rooftop in Oswego ended Wednesday evening after roughly six hours, with the men escaping in waiting vehicles as a crowd of protesters looked on, according to Syracuse.com.
Oswego police said officers were initially dispatched to the area on East 7th Street for a reckless-driving complaint, later learning the call stemmed from federal agents attempting to detain multiple individuals under a federal judicial warrant. Two men climbed onto the roof of a home at 261 E. 7th St. as agents waited below.
At the agents’ request, Oswego city police officers and firefighters brought a ladder to the home and extended it to the roof before Border Patrol officers took over; one of the men on the roof knocked the ladder down, drawing cheers from the gathered crowd. Mayor Robert Corradino said the city provided only equipment, not law enforcement assistance. “It is no different than my next-door neighbor asking for a ladder for a gutter issue,” Corradino said. He added that Oswego Fire Chief Paul Conzone had confirmed with the city’s attorney that the agents’ warrant had been signed by a judge.
A crowd that grew to more than 70 people gathered near the home throughout the afternoon, chanting “let them go” and demanding agents show the warrant; some protesters also threw water bottles toward the men on the roof. Oswego police provided crowd control and worked to keep protesters off the private property.
Nearby Charles Riley Elementary School was placed under a “lockout” around 2 p.m., according to Oswego City School District Superintendent Raymond Kilmer III, who said the district implemented enhanced dismissal procedures, including releasing walking students only to an adult and taking additional precautions for students riding buses. Corradino said city police were sent to assist with the school dismissal, calling the standoff’s timing and proximity to the school “the worst” circumstance, and said the city’s involvement was unrelated to assisting federal agents.
Federal agents were seen leaving the scene around 7:30 p.m. About an hour later, the two men got off the roof and left in waiting cars. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the agency was reviewing the incident and would have information to share Thursday.