The footage is hard to watch. Honestly, it’s the kind of video that makes your stomach do a slow flip. Just last week, the Rochester Police Department (RPD) peeled back the curtain on a night that turned a quiet West Side street into a literal combat zone. We’re talking about the breaking news Rochester NY shooting that went down on Chili Avenue, an incident that somehow involved a jilted ex, a 911 caller with his own gun, and three officers ending up in the hospital.
It was December 19th when the calls started. Around 10 p.m. It was freezing—maybe 10 degrees if you were lucky—with snow blowing sideways. Visibility? Basically zero. A guy calls 911 because his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend, 38-year-old Eric Davis, is trying to kick in the door. The caller mentions he has his own legal firearm. You can already feel the tension building in the dispatch audio.
The Chili Avenue Ambush
When the RPD rolled up to the house, they didn't get a chance to negotiate. They found Davis near the side of the building. One officer walked up, put a hand on his shoulder, and asked him to turn around.
Davis didn't talk. He just pulled a .40-caliber handgun and started squeezing the trigger.
Two officers went down immediately. In the chaos, the original 911 caller—the guy who was just trying to protect his home—also started firing his own gun. Chief David Smith later described it as a "very, very chaotic scene." The homeowner actually fired toward the police by accident. Adrenaline does weird things to your aim. He ended up getting shot twice (once by police), but investigators say he won't face charges because, well, it was a dark, snowy mess and he was trying to help.
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The Chase to Thurston Road
Davis didn't stay to fight. He bolted. He ran toward the intersection of Thurston Road and Arnett Boulevard. A third officer spotted him and yelled for him to show his hands. Davis responded with more lead.
The officer was hit but managed to fire back. A fourth officer took cover behind a tree—you can see the bark flying off the trunk in the bodycam footage—and joined the gunfight. By the time the smoke cleared, Davis was dead.
Total round count?
- Davis fired 14 times.
- Police fired 20 times.
- The civilian fired 6 times.
Where Things Stand Now
Two of the officers are back home. The third? Still in the hospital with "serious injuries." It’s a long road back for that one. The New York State Attorney General’s Office is currently running the show on the investigation, which is standard procedure whenever someone dies in a police exchange.
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While this specific breaking news Rochester NY shooting is the one everyone is talking about because of the wild video release, it’s part of a bigger, weirder trend in the city.
Believe it or not, Rochester is actually seeing a "peace wave" lately. Mayor Malik Evans recently renewed the Gun Violence State of Emergency, but the numbers tell a story that might surprise you. In 2025, the city saw 162 shootings. That sounds like a lot, right? But compared to the 339 shootings in 2022, it’s a massive drop. We’re basically back to pre-pandemic levels.
The Ground Reality in 2026
If you live in the "Crescent" neighborhoods—the Northeast and Northwest—this stuff still feels very real. The North Clinton area remains a hot spot. Even this week, on January 14, 2026, the Gun Violence Archive flagged another shooting incident on Avenue D and Hollenbeck Street.
It's a weird dichotomy. On one hand, the city is statistically safer than it’s been in years. On the other hand, you have nights like the Chili Avenue shootout that feel like something out of a movie.
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People are tired. They’re tired of the sirens and they’re definitely tired of the political finger-pointing. You’ve got local activists like the Rev. Myra Brown calling for more accountability, especially after separate incidents like the ICE shooting protests that have been rocking Irondequoit lately.
What You Need to Do Next
If you’re living in these neighborhoods or just following the news, stay informed.
- Check the RPD Open Data Portal. They update shooting victim stats with a 3-day lag. It’s the best way to see what’s actually happening on your block without the media filter.
- Attend a Police Reform Commission meeting. These aren't just for show anymore. With the AG’s office involved in the Chili Avenue case, public input on bodycam transparency is at an all-time high.
- Know your rights as a legal owner. If you keep a firearm for home defense, the Chili Avenue caller’s story is a massive lesson. High-stress situations lead to "friendly fire" risks. Training for low-light, high-stress encounters is literally a lifesaver.
Keep your eyes open. Rochester is changing, but as the Chili Avenue footage shows, we aren't out of the woods just yet.