WATCH: Man shoots East Rochester Officer, sentenced to prison
Jan 15, 2025
Editor's note: Some of the imagery in this article might be disturbing to some viewers. The full body worn camera video can be watched at the bottom of this article.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A man found guilty of shooting an East Rochester police officer was sentenced Wednesday morning.
Nearly one year to the day, Officer Brad Steve, who was in court for Wednesday's sentencing, learned that 52-year-old Raymond Noel will serve 35 years to life in prison for attempting to take his life in 2024.
An emotional embrace by Officer Brad Steve following Wednesday's sentencing outside the courtroom.
"Unfortunately, both families have to pick up the pieces of the actions that took place that day," Steve said. "It's not something anyone ever wants to deal with, it's not, as law enforcement, something we go out on a shift, and we want to be involved in. It's not something I wish on my worst enemy."
According to investigators, Officer Steve was responding to a 911 call on Garfield Street on Jan. 14, 2024, when he saw Noel in the driveway with a gun. Noel moved to go into the building despite officers telling him to stop. Noel eventually aimed his gun directly at Officer Steve. Both of them fired their weapons at each other, leaving one another shot.
Officer Steve was protected by his bulletproof vest. Noel was taken to the hospital as charges were filed against him.
"By the grace of God, this officer gets out by technology of the vest and his tactics, he's walking home, but he's going to be scarred for life," Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said. "This community is going to be scarred for life because we attempted to kill another police officer."
Noel was charged with attempted aggravated murder, attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, and criminal possession of a weapon (2nd). He was found guilty in November. The weapon he used is considered a ghost gun, an untraceable, illegal weapon.
"I hate to see anyone walk away knowing they're going away 35 to life, on bad decisions they make in life," Steve admitted Wednesday. "No matter what, I'm going to be processing trauma the rest of my life. He's going to be processing trauma the rest of his life. At the end of the day, there's really no good outcome in this."
East Rochester Police Department released footage from the camera worn by the officer shot during the incident. You can watch it in full below: