50-year-old William Keith Booker, a retired member of the Rochester Police Department, has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting in the city's southwest side early Sunday morning.
He's described as a man who dedicated his career to bringing peace and justice to the community.
Booker was fatally shot near the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Iceland Park around 2 a.m. Officers say he was driving south on Jefferson, when he struck a parked and unoccupied car. It's unknown at this time if he was shot before or after the accident.
Officer Booker served RPD from 1996 until his retirement in 2017. He previously spent 10 years as a School Resource Officer (SRO) at Franklin High School, working to prevent violence in our youth population.
Former colleagues remember him as one of the kindest men they've ever met. They described him as easy-going, a terrific police officer, and an even better friend and father.
His death comes two months after Rochester Police Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz was shot and killed in the line of duty, making an already challenging year for the RPD family even more difficult.
"You don't often hear about a retired police officer being the victim of a homicide," said Adam Devincentis, vice president of the Rochester Police Locust Club. "To have that happen right here in your city, too, where you’re still working, it’s just tough."
Booker's family released a statement, describing him as a beloved father, son, brother, cousin, and friend - but beyond all that, a man of faith.
It is with heavy hearts that we, the family of William Keith Booker, confirm that he was murdered on the morning of September 25, 2022. A beloved father, son, brother, cousin, and friend, Booker served Rochester proudly for 20 plus years as a police officer and beyond that, as a man of faith. We ask that you please respect the family's privacy at this time. This will be the only statement that the family releases. Any other communication does not represent our family. We also ask that you do not share the video posted by his grieving mother who was inconsolable and unaware of all of the facts. Frankly, she is mentally unstable. Thank you to the Rochester Police Department and City of Rochester for leading the investigation. We have complete confidence that justice will be served. We would also like to reiterate that Booker was a man of faith. So even as we seek justice, we pray that this horrible tragedy and the other senseless homicides that have occurred in Rochester will usher in a much needed change. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:33 NKJV
Guy Herd, who worked with Booker at Franklin High School, says they started off as co-workers, but quickly became friends.
"At the beginning of the day, we got there early almost every day, so we could pray before school started," Herd recalled. "He was really just a good guy. When you talk about role models, he was a role model, no matter the age. He was role model for everyone that was in the building."
Devincentis says Booker lived and breathed the city he loved.
"He’s always been a city resident and lives in that area, at least when we was on the job," Devincentis said. "Now, even in retirement, he appears to be a random victim [of a homicide], it’s just hard to fathom - it’s hard to wrap your head around."
The Rochester City School District, releasing this statement on Booker's passing:
We are extremely saddened at the tragic passing of Officer Booker and extend our condolences to his family. He was a School Resource Officer at Franklin High School and developed strong relationships with our students and staff while he was there. He will be missed.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans also responded to Booker's death in the following statement:
My heart is broken for the family and friends of retired Rochester Police Officer William Booker and I ask all of Rochester to join me in prayer or a moment of thought as they mourn this loss. That a man who dedicated his professional career to bringing peace and justice to the streets and schools of Rochester has himself fallen victim of that violence in his retirement is a tragedy and yet another reminder that our entire community must join in the effort to end this violence.
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello also reacting to the news:
I am shocked and saddened by the death of retired Rochester Police Officer William Booker. During his 21-year career, he was an integral part of the RPD family and served for more than a decade as a steady presence at the City School District's Franklin campus. I send my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. His tragic death is not just a loss for them, but a loss for us all. Record homicides and gun violence are terrorizing innocent citizens of this community. This is a crisis and it will take our entire community working together to bring this outbreak to an end.