Police pack courtroom for arraignment of man charged in death of Rochester officer
More than a hundred uniformed members of the Rochester Police Department packed a courtroom Saturday morning for the arraignment of a man accused of fatally shooting one police officer and wounding another.
Kelvin Vickers, 21, entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him: second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, second degree assault, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Vickers was surrounded by a phalanx of jail deputies as he was brought into court. He wore a pink jumpsuit with shackles on both his hands and feet. He did not speak in court, other than to say "yes, sir" in an emphatic voice in response to questions from Rochester City Court Judge Van White.
Haley Werner, an attorney with the Monroe County Public Defender's office, represented Vickers at the arraignment. She indicated that her office would be representing Vickers, though the defendant indicated he intended to seek his own attorney.
Judge White ordered Vickers to be held without bail in the Monroe County Jail. A preliminary hearing in the case is set for July 27, but Assistant District Attorney Monica O'Brien said the case would be presented to a grand jury, which will have the final say on the charges.
Vickers is accused of firing at least 16 rounds from a Glock 45 9mm handgun into an unmarked car outside of 67 Baumann Street. The incident occurred around 9:19 p.m. on Thursday in the City's northeast neighborhood.
Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz and his partner Sino Seng were conducting surveillance as part of RPD's tactical unit. Mazurkiewicz was struck twice in the torso, according to a reading of the charges in court. He was taken to the University of Rochester Medical Center and died at 11:24 p.m.
Seng was struck once in the leg and was treated and released from Rochester General Hospital.
Investigators have said that Officer Seng exited the car and returned fire but the shooting suspect was not struck. Police found Vickers nearby in an abandoned building a short time later and took him into custody without incident. They say that preliminary ballistics testing determined a gun found near Vickers matched the shots fired at the officers.
At least two dozen members of RPD's tactical attended the arraignment, which lasted just ten minutes. Dozens of friends and family members sat in the front row, and dozens more law enforcement officers from both RPD and the Monroe County Sheriff's office filled the courtroom.
There did not appear to be anyone in the courtroom who was there on behalf of Vickers.
Rochester City Court Judge Van White began the proceedings by asking for a moment of silence before the defendant was brought in. Judge White noted that it had only been five days since he had been appointed to serve on the bench, and he had already overseen three murder arraignments.
Judge White said his request was not in regards to any particular person, but about the loss of life that has occurred in recent weeks as a result of gun violence.
"I've seen too many mothers and fathers, sons and daughters here grieving," White said. "So I ask you all to take moment to think of those left to deal with the tragedy of this type of loss.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Kelvin Vickers pleads not guilty in death of Anthony Mazurkiewicz
