Jefferson County Sheriff's Office honors deputies who responded to Pillar Point standoff

Nov. 14—WATERTOWN — Jefferson County Sheriff Peter R. Barnett held an award ceremony at the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building Tuesday morning for his deputies' efforts during a standoff in Pillar Point in May.

The man who was charged with shooting at police was Nathan P. Krump, 45, of 23378 County Route 59.

Krump was taken into custody and later charged with first-degree attempted murder. No one was struck by the gunfire, but four members of the sheriff's office were taken to Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown for evaluations of various ailments, Barnett said in May. Those injured were treated and released.

"The training and the tenacious desire for you to survive, and protect citizens of the town of Brownville on that day, I applaud you," Barnett said to the group of deputies Tuesday. "We spoiled Mr. Krump's day. He failed every move he made. He wanted to die, and he also wanted to kill, and he also wanted to escape."

Barnett said Krump was taken down by a Taser and no shots were fired by police.

"This incident and the conclusion of it, without having a lethal round fired by any member of law enforcement serves as proof of your professionalism, dedication and an exceptional level of training assigned to the units and brings a positive light to not only the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, but to all the other agencies involved," he said.

The sheriff reiterated the importance of training.

"I pray to God, Father, that this never happens again. However, we better wake up people, because it will," he said.

The Star of Gallantry was awarded to Sgt. Scott E. Sterling, Sgt. Paige C. Taylor, Detective Bradley S. Phelps, Deputy Randolph J. Bachmeyer, Deputy Jamie M. Taylor, Deputy Shawn M. Ryan, Deputy Ryan J. Snyder, Deputy Kory M. Keefer, Deputy James J. Randall, Jr., Deputy Matthew J. Young, Detective Timothy Kittelson Jr., Deputy Shawn J. Bulger, former Deputy Nicholas P. Curtiss, Deputy Jeffrey M. Froelich and Deputy Humberto Perez.

Taylor said that she was one of the negotiators trying to make contact with Krump.

Negotiators went into the scene in a secondary location and later rode in the Mine Resilient Ambush Protected, MRAP vehicle.

Taylor said they took fire from Krump while they were staging a distance from the structure.

"We had some rounds fired at us," she said.

She said that as the situation was unfolding she wanted to find cover.

"We knew we were not in the MRAP and it was just, 'get to a position of safety,'" she said.

Taylor called getting the recognition "surreal."

"It's been a very long time since members of this agency have been recognized for their involvement and commitment to what it is that we do every day," she said. "I've been in the sheriff's office for over 20 years, in many different capacities, and this is probably the nicest ceremony and level of recognition that anybody in our department has probably seen."

She also said that the training she received as a negotiator was very important.

"Even as negotiators, we're not just sitting in a vehicle somewhere waiting to get on the phone. We're dressed up and ready to go too," she said.

Bachmeyer, who is a member of the Emergency Response Team, said his thought was to get to the scene as fast as possible.

"There's no 'I' in team. Everybody worked together as a team to end the incident, and luckily it ended, I would say, as nonviolently as possible," he said. "Everybody helped each other, everybody supported each other."

Bachmeyer said he wants people to know that situations like this can happen in the north country.

"Everybody always has to be ready for the unexpected," he said.

The Gallantry Star is given for a distinguished act of bravery in the line of duty where the well-being of others is put before the well-being of self by arresting a person who is a major threat to the community and officers.

The Meritorious Service was given to detectives Aaron G. House, Mason R. Maitland, Jay W. Morrow and Carrie A. Mangino. The Meritorious of Service is given for a highly unusual accomplishment under adverse conditions with a degree of hazard to life and limb and where death or injury to a third party is prevented.

A distinguished citation was given to the Rev. Matthew S. Conger for recognition of his volunteer service that went above and beyond expectations and requirements.

Barnett said it's important to do ceremonies like this so that deputies know they have a sheriff who recognizes the work being done.

"Recognition is very important. These awards don't come easy, and they don't come every day," he said. "It would be nice to say that (I) wouldn't have to have an award ceremony like this for a long time. But unfortunately, in this day and age, with the way society is behaving right now, we have to train to be ready at a moment's notice, and we are."

Barnett said he is proud of the department.

He said he wanted no harm to come to anyone involved, including the suspect.

"We've never seen a situation escalate as fast as this one did," he said.

The sheriff on May 17, a day after the incident, said there were "shots fired in all different locations."

"All in all, this could have been a hell of a lot worse," Barnett said at the time. "It could have been a hell of a lot worse for law enforcement and local residents as well."

County dispatchers received a 911 call at about 6 p.m. May 16 requesting that patrols check the welfare of someone at Krump's address.

According to court documents, Deputy Humberto Perez arrived at the scene and saw a man riding a tractor, but believed he was a neighbor. After Krump's wife identified the man on the tractor as Krump, State Police Trooper Derrick A. Leonard arrived and the deputy started to approach Krump, only to be warned angrily by Krump to get off his property as the deputy tried to calm him.

Krump then drove the tractor across the road to a boathouse also on his property and entered it. When he came back out, he was holding a white object the deputy could not identify. Perez told him to drop the object, at which point Krump swore at him and told him to get off his property "or I'm going to shoot you" and also told the deputy he was "going to get killed."

Krump then allegedly raised the object with one hand, at which time the deputy heard a gunshot. Krump then went into a basement at the boathouse, at which time Perez ran behind the residence and met back up with Leonard.

According to Perez's supporting deposition filed with the court, he used a vehicle in the residence's driveway as cover while Leonard and Troopers Christopher D. Wyant and Tyler M. Flath similarly used a state police patrol vehicle for cover.

"We began hearing gun shots and could hear the bullets whizzing past us," Perez said in his deposition.

The officers moved a safer distance back and a short time later observed the boathouse engulfed in flames. Later, a bullet hole was observed through the windshield of Leonard's patrol car. Officers also said they heard bullets striking a neighboring house. Residents of that house were evacuated.

As the residence became engulfed in flames from an undetermined cause, Krump came out and got back onto the tractor, according to documents, striking and causing an unspecified injury to Ryan Snyder.

The tractor was pursued and Krump was taken into custody by the sheriff's Emergency Response Team.

Krump is being held at the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building.

In addition to state troopers, the DA's office and Watertown city police, deputies were assisted at the scene by Jefferson County Fire and Emergency Management, the county's 911 dispatch center and fire departments from the town of Brownville, Sackets Harbor, Glen Park, Chaumont, town of Watertown, Three Mile Bay, Black River and Northpole.