North Country This Week

RUSSELL — State police say Shawn G. Sheridan was heavily armed for a shootout before he was shot and killed by a State trooper on Aug. 10.

State Police say Sheridan, who was a fugitive on the run, was alleged to be living in a tent in a wooded area where the shootout occurred. According to police, Sheridan was armed with two different types of long guns, along with a bandolier of ammunition.

Troopers say Sheridan was wearing a tactical vest that contained multiple edged weapons.

In the tent that Sheridan was living in, police found an ammo box containing more ammunition along with another gun.

Troopers did not specify how Sheridan obtained the weapons or to whom they may have belonged.

On Aug. 11, one day after the shooting, the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) opened an investigation into the incident.

A news release issued by OSI, said troopers encountered Sheridan on Donnerville Road in the town of Russell.

During the encounter, Sheridan allegedly fired a gun in their direction and a NYSP trooper returned fire.

The investigation into the officer involved shooting is standard procedure.

OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission.

Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed.

Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated.

If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

Responding to the incident were state police, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies, Canton Police, the District Attorney’s Office and the St. Lawrence County Drug Task Force.

When asked if Sheridan was aided in his hiding, Sheriff Bigwarfe said he could not comment because it was still being investigated.

Pasqua said no one else had been charged in relation to the incident but added that investigation is still active.

Original crime

On the morning of March 9, 2022, at approximately 1:42 a.m., St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a reported domestic incident at 49 South Woods Road in Rossie.

Upon their arrival, it was determined that a victim had been shot in the neck during the reported domestic incident.

The victim sustained serious injuries and was transported by Medivac to Upstate Hospital in Syracuse for treatment

Over the initial course of this incident, Deputy Sheriff Matthew Merria arrested Sheridan, who was armed with a long gun and a knife, by himself, reports the sheriff’s office.

Deputy Merria also had an intern riding with him at the time of this call, and they were both able to render aid to the female victim until rescue could respond to the scene.

Bail reform

St. Lawrence County County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe said multiple agencies had been working to apprehend Sheridan after he skipped his July 18 sentencing.

St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua said Sheridan had been held on bail but that it was paid which allowed him to be released.

“The judge had to give the release in the least restricted method due to bail reform. He did put a high bail on this but it was met. When you are not allowed to consider the dangerousness of a defendant in regard to whether or not they remain jailed you end up letting dangerous people out. When you let dangerous people out on bail they do dangerous things,” he said.

Pasqua said that while no human officers were injured, the situation would likely have been avoided completely if it had occurred prior to bail reform changes.

“We’re always thankful during any operation when the law enforcement officers and the individuals that we are helping come out safe and unharmed,” he said.

Pasqua noted in an early interview that they had hoped Sheridan could be brought in peacefully but acknowledged that he was a threat to law enforcement.