Monroe County, NY Sheriff Deputies Execute Man Having Mental Health Crisis

Monroe County, NY Sheriff Chief Deputy Michael Fowler

      

By Davy V.

The late Reverend Raymond Graves, who for years worked side by side with my Dad Mario Vara in Rochester, New York, speaking out and denouncing police misconduct and corruption including the execution of citizens by trigger happy cops, once said that oftentimes police officers don't shoot because they have to shoot.

They shoot because they want to shoot.

And it's hard to argue with that, when we constantly hear of incidents where police officers kill someone who is having a mental health crisis.

Sunday August 9, 2026.

3:53 PM.

Monroe County, NY Sheriff Deputies respond to the Super 8 Motel, in Henrietta, NY, just outside of Rochester, for a call of a male with a box cutter, threatening to harm himself.

Well, two Monroe County, NY Sheriff Deputies took care of that really quick.

They executed the man, reported to be in his 60's.

According to Monroe County, NY Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Michael Fowler, the man disobeyed several commands from deputies to drop the box cutter, so the deputies shot him multiple times.

The man, who was clearly having a mental health crisis, was pronounced dead at the scene.

13 minutes.

That's how long it took from the time the 911 call came in, to the time two Monroe County, NY Sheriff Deputies executed a man who needed help.

13 minutes.

Ok.

First of all, none of us were there.

But it's just very hard for me to believe that two trained deputies, could not think of using any other kind of non lethal force, such as tasers or bean bag rounds especially with a man holding a box cutter.

In other words he WAS NOT holding a firearm.

But the Monroe County, NY Sheriff Deputies went straight to using lethal force.

Mental health is a real thing.

Especially to myself and my family.

My father committed suicide when I was 22 years old.

I was home at the time.

That day replays in my mind like it's on a loop.

It's something I live with every single day.

It's always there.

There is no shutting it off.

And although it's been hard for me to do, I have been open about my own mental health struggles.

I just don't think I'm alone in asking, why does it always seem like law enforcement officers are always quick to go straight to using lethal force?

And it brings me back to what Reverend Graves said.

Oftentimes police officers don't shoot because they have to shoot, they shoot because they want to shoot.

Social media is lit up with people denouncing the Monroe County, NY Sheriff Deputies executing this man, who clearly needed help for his mental health.

My message to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office:

RELEASE THE FULL, UNREDACTED, UNEDITED BODY CAM VIDEO ASAP!!!!!!!!

Below are just some of the hundreds of comments online, of people who find this incident very disturbing.

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There Was a Concert at MLK Jr. Park in Rochester, NY, and NO ONE GOT SHOT

​BY DAVY.

Thousands came out last night to Martin Luther King Jr. Park in downtown Rochester, New York to see multi-platinum selling pop-rock band Smash Mouth, known for their hits like All Star and Walkin' On The Sun.

AND NO ONE GOT SHOT.

THERE WAS NO LAWLESSNESS.

THERE WAS NO CHAOS.

THERE WAS NO MAYHEM.

AND THERE WAS NO VIOLENCE.

Nope.

Just several thousand people who came to have a good time, and watch one of their favorite bands.

Several thousand people coming together, to celebrate good music.

Several thousand people who don't behave or act like wild animals.

Compare that to the last time thousands of people gathered in downtown Rochester, New York.

Actually it was just this past weekend.

On Thursday, July 30th, Rochester's annual Puerto Rican Festival was also held in downtown Rochester.

At Parcel 5, a green space just a few hundred feet from MLK Jr. Park.

So how did that work out?

Well, let's see.

On the first night of the Puerto Rican Festival, there was the usual lawlessness, chaos, mayhem, and violence thar has become synonymous with the Puerto Rican Festival every year.

Street takeovers, hundreds of illegal dirt bikes, ATV's, scooters, and motorcycles taking over city streets, pregnant women waving Puerto Rican flags while hanging out of car windows and sunroofs, some even twerking on car roofs and hoods.

Talk about showing your Puerto Rican pride!

Oh I almost forgot!

There was a shooting.

All on the same night!

Videos on social media show crowds of women running and screaming as you can hear several gunshots.

Luckily no one was hit.

So that was Thursday.

The first day of Rochester's Puerto Rican Festival.

And that was just a warm-up.

The rest of the Puerto Rican Festival brought more of the same lawlessness, chaos, mayhem and violence.

One festival goer ran over a Rochester Police Officer's foot with his motorcycle.

According to Rochester Police, before running the officer's foot over, the man asked the RPD Officer, "You wanna get hit?"

Hmm...

Sounds both intentional and premeditated to me.

Then there was the fight involving several Puerto Rican women who had attended the Puerto Rican Festival, then got into an all-out hair pulling, flying fists swinging brawl next to the entrance to Parcel 5.

Because nothing says 'I'm proud to be Puerto Rican and I came to the Festival to celebrate my Puerto Rican culture!' more than, 'I'm gonna beat your ass hija de puta!'

Several women fighting at the Puerto Rican Festival in downtown Rochester, NY

You can watch videos of the fight on my YouTube channel DavyVTV.

And then there was another shooting murder.

This one ended in a murder.

14-year old Zahnia Barr.

Executed on North Clinton Avenue.

Or as Rochester, New York's Puerto Rican community so proudly calls "LA AVENIDA".

But wait.

Then there was another shooting.

A drive by.

And another murder.

Shakara Green.

She was just 35-years old.

Shot in the neck as she was standing on Clifford Ave. in Rochester, as crowds waving Puerto Rican flags screamed WEPA!

A dark color sedan drive by, and the killer, who appears to be hanging out of the car's sunroof, can be seen holding a firearm and firing at least 10 shots, hitting Shakara.

Yes.

It was captured on video.

Both murders, which occurred on the Puerto Rican Festival weekend, remain unsolved.

So with all the negative energy and senseless violence in Rochester, it was nice to hear that there are still some folks who can come together and enjoy a concert, and have fun, with no issues.

And it was especially nice to hear that the concert was held at MLK Jr. Park, which has seen it's own share of lawlessness, chaos, mayhem, and violence, including mass shootings.

So, as Latino and father of Black and Latino children, I have to ask...

WHY CAN'T BLACK AND LATINO FOLKS COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A GOOD TIME WITHOUT ANY LAWLESSNESS, CHAOS, MAYHEM, OR VIOLENCE?

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