Syracuse police identify officer who shot and killed armed man near Walnut Park

Syracuse police have identified the police officer who shot and killed an armed man Sunday night near Walnut Park as the two exchanged fire.

Joseph Mauro, who has been with the Syracuse Police Department since January 2001, shot and killed Deric Brown, 41, on Sunday after Brown first fired at him during a traffic stop, according to police.

Mauro is currently on administrative leave, per protocol, and will remain on leave until the investigation into the shooting is completed. The investigation has been turned over to the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, police said.

In 2014, a Liverpool man accused Mauro and three other Syracuse police officers of using excessive force and using racial slurs during an arrest. The man was ultimately found not guilty of resisting an arrest, according to Syracuse.com.

Mauro was uninjured in the Sunday shooting. Police say he pulled Brown over because Brown’s car’s lights were turned off. When Mauro approached Brown’s car, he noticed a firearm in Brown’s possession, police said.

Mauro then began retreating to his car, at which point Brown left his car and fired an undisclosed number of shots at Mauro, police said. Mauro returned fire, striking Brown with at least one round of gunshot, police said. Brown was transported to Upstate University Hospital, where he died of his injuries.