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Thomas Chase

Age : 92

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/22/2024

Location : East Avenue at Elmwood Avenue

City : Brighton

County : Monroe

State : New York

Agency : Rochester Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/22/2024, Thomas Chase, 92, was killed in Brighton when his vehicle was struck by a stolen Kia that Rochester police were pursuing. The incident began at approximately 3:30 p.m. when Rochester police responded to a ShotSpotter activation reporting multiple gunshots near Maria and Bernard streets.
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Police located a man near the scene and alleged that he discarded a loaded 9mm handgun and ran toward Friedrich Park. He entered another stolen Kia containing two other people. Police said the Kia then backed toward an officer before driving away, and Rochester police began pursuing it.
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The pursuit continued from Rochester into Brighton for approximately eight minutes. Police reported that the Kia reached speeds exceeding 100 mph. As it traveled south on East Avenue, Chase was driving his own vehicle and attempting to turn left from East Avenue onto Elmwood Avenue. The Kia struck Chase's vehicle at the intersection. Chase died at the scene. The three people in the Kia were hospitalized with serious injuries.
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Rochester Police Chief David Smith said an initial review of the pursuit found no violation of the department's pursuit policy. Body-camera footage reviewed by the department showed an officer bracing for impact when the Kia allegedly backed toward the officer shortly before the pursuit began.
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Chase was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and an accomplished pianist who remained active in the community. He was returning from playing piano at a Brighton nursing home when he was killed.
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Criminal proceedings continued into 2025. The driver ultimately pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced in October 2025 to 25 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. Another person in the Kia pleaded guilty to assault and received a 10-year prison sentence.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
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The Rochester police officers involved in the pursuit have not been publicly identified.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2024/08/23/rochester-police-chase-ends-with-deadly-crash-in-brighton-ny/74911854007/
https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2024-08-24/rpd-releases-more-info-about-crash-that-ended-with-the-death-of-a-92-year-old-man-in-brighton
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2024/08/23/stolen-car-chase-across-rochester-leaves-one-killed-and-three-injured
https://www.whec.com/local/teen-driver-in-deadly-stolen-car-crash-was-arrested-12-times-last-year-for-smash-and-grabs/
https://www.whec.com/top-news/brothers-sentenced-in-brighton-stolen-car-crash-that-killed-92-year-old/
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l8GuBOBOPw