By Vince Gasparini, Anne Hayes, Jon Moss, Finn Lincoln
syracuse.com
OSWEGO, N,Y. — A standoff Wednesday between Border Patrol agents and two men at an Oswego city home has ended.
For about six hours, the two men were on the roof of a home at 261 E. 7th St. as agents waited for them outside. At one point, Oswego city police and firefighters put up a ladder for the agents, but a man on the roof knocked it down.
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Protesters gathered all afternoon, growing to more than 70 people. Many were shouting at the agents to leave the men alone.
The federal agents were seen leaving at about 7:30 p.m.
About an hour later, the two men managed to get off the roof and appeared to escape in waiting cars.
Police said they were first called to the scene for a reckless driver call they later learned stemmed from federal agents attempting to detain multiple individuals on a federal judicial warrant.
The standoff continued into the evening with the two men on the roof and a crowd of protesters outside.
One man who climbed onto the roof knocked down the ladder held by federal agents. The crowd of around 70 people cheered as the ladder fell.
An agent with what appears to be a long gun made his way to the lower level of the roof of the 261 East 7th St. home. He eventually made his way to the upper level of the roof with the two men and could be seen talking to them.
“Show us the warrant,” the crowd chanted.
Oswego city police officers and firefighters arrived with a ladder to help Border Patrol agents reach the two men on the roof of the home.
Tensions rose as a growing crowd of protesters shouted at the officers and firefighters.
“I thought you said you don’t get involved,” one man shouted.
“Where’s your warrant? Where’s your warrant?” another man shouted.
The crowd then started shouting, “Let them go. Let them go.”
Nine officers and firefighters carried the ladder to the house, extended it to the roof and held it at the bottom before Border Patrol officers took over.
Oswego police officers stood between the crowd and the house.
Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard the agents requested a ladder and the local departments provided one. He said they are not aiding the federal agents with “law enforcement.”
He said they only provided a ladder.
“It is no different than my next-door neighbor asking for a ladder for a gutter issue,” Corradino said.
The crowd chanted “let them go,” as the ladder was placed on the roof.
Police officers could be seen providing crowd control and telling people to get off the private property.
Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that city police Chief Damian Waters told him the federal agents had been pursuing an individual in a vehicle, and that the individual had gotten away and climbed to the roof.
Several U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicles could be seen near the property.
A spokesperson for the agency said he was looking into the incident and would not have any information to share until Thursday.
Around 30 protesters gathered in the street near the home. Several yelled at the agents.
“Do you have a warrant for the man that you’re trying to get off of this roof?” one protester asked several times.
“Where’s the warrant?” a woman chimed in.
Corradino said Oswego Fire Chief Paul Conzone confirmed with the city’s attorney that the agents had a warrant signed by a judge.
At about 5:15 p.m., the protesters started to try to throw water bottles to the men on the roof. A few fell short but when one bottle reached one of the men, the crowd started cheering and applauding.
The home is several blocks away from the Charles Riley Elementary School.
The school was placed under a “lockout” around 2 p.m., according to Raymond Kilmer III, the superintendent of the Oswego City School District.
Kilmer said the school implemented “enhanced” dismissal procedures Wednesday afternoon, including releasing students walking home to an adult and taking additional measures for students traveling home by bus.
Corradino said city police officers were sent to help the school with dismissal.
“The timing couldn’t have been worse,” he said. “We’re not there to help them (the federal agents) in any way. We’re just there because of the fact that it’s near a school.”
At one point, a request was made for the Oswego Fire Department to respond with a ladder to assist Border Patrol agents, according to Oswego County 911 Center dispatches. Witnesses said the fire department responded but then left.
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