Police officer dies after accidentally shooting himself, crashes into ravine
ROCHESTER, N.Y. November 9 2019 Authorities have confirmed an upstate New York police officer died after accidentally shooting himself while on his way to work, causing him to serve into a ravine.
According to WHAM, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says Rochester Police Officer Manuel “Manny” Ortiz, 52, was found in his SUV in a ravine in Penfield shortly after 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter says witnesses saw Ortiz’s car drift and cross into oncoming lanes before going into the ravine.
At a news conference Monday morning, Sheriff Baxter said Ortiz accidentally shot himself in the left thigh while driving.
Investigators at the scene found a single shell casing in the car and a single bullet in the driver’s side door.
Officials say Ortiz was the only person in the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The bullet struck an artery in his leg, and, within minutes, he was dead.
