‘I still wait for him.' Tearful widow of slain Rochester officer shares heartbreaking story on 'Today' show

Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Updated ·2 min read

Despite the dangerous work Officer Anthony “Tony” Mazurkiewicz did as part of the Rochester Police Department’s tactical unit, his wife always expected him to come home at the end of his shift.

“It never never ever ever occurred to me he wouldn’t come home,” Lynn Mazurkiewicz told NBC’s Harry Smith for a Today show segment taped here two weeks ago to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Officer Mazurkiewicz, a 29-year veteran of the force who was killed in an ambush July 21, 2022, while working a surveillance detail on Bauman Street in northeast Rochester.

During the interview, which aired Thursday morning, Lynn Mazurkiewicz said her husband’s death still doesn’t seem real. “Not a minute,” she said through tears. “I still wait for him. It seems like it’s been forever, and it’s almost been a year. No, it doesn’t seem real, because we still wait for him. I haven’t moved his slippers or his backpack, and I probably never will.”

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The segment also highlighted the story of Brett Sobieraski, a former sergeant leading RPD’s SWAT team, who ran 50 26.2-mile marathons for 50 days straight to honor his slain colleague and raise money — more than $100,000 — for his survivors.

“He is the kindest man, genuinely,” Lynn told Smith. “But he’s crazy. I mean, it’s insane. Nobody does that.”

Brett Sobieraski and Lynn Mazurkiewicz on June 11, 2023 at a memorial for law enforcement members who have lost their lives. Sobieraski had just completed his eight-state multi-marathon run in honor of the late Anthony Mazurkiewicz.
Brett Sobieraski and Lynn Mazurkiewicz on June 11, 2023 at a memorial for law enforcement members who have lost their lives. Sobieraski had just completed his eight-state multi-marathon run in honor of the late Anthony Mazurkiewicz.

In addition, Smith interviewed RPD Officers Kenneth Coniglio, Kelley Lusk and Michael DiPaola about the tragic loss of Maz, as he was known.

“He was a rock in the unit,” DiPaola said. “A mentor, a leader, and he was hilarious. He absolutely was, yes, hands down, the funniest person you’d ever meet.”

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Lynn Mazurkiewicz opens up about death of her husband on 'Today' show