Officer Joseph Corr was shot and killed following a vehicle pursuit of two men leaving the scene after robbing a jewelry store.
Part of a four-man crew, the suspects committed the armed robbery on Commercial Drive in the town of New Hartford and were escaping when Officer Corr arrived on the scene. Officer Corr pursued two of the suspects in their vehicle for approximately three miles along Route 5 until it crashed into a service station gas pump. Both suspects exited the vehicle and began to flee on foot.
Three officers chased one suspect who was apprehended. Officer Corr pursued the first suspect while the other suspect was chased and apprehended by other officers. During the foot pursuit, the suspect opened fire and killed Officer Corr. He then carjacked a vehicle and fled.
The suspect was tracked to a house in Chester City, Pennsylvania. Members of the United States Marshals Service, Chester City Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Delaware County Sheriff's Department surrounded the house. The suspect eventually came out of the house and immediately opened fire. He was subsequently shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire in which a United States Deputy Marshal was wounded.
The apprehended second suspect was charged with second-degree murder in Oneida County. In January 2007 he was convicted of murder and 18 counts of robbery and was sentenced to 300 years in prison. In July 2009 two additional suspects were charged federally with conspiracy, robbery, and murder. In July 2011 all three were convicted and sentenced to life in prison with no parole in federal court.
In May 2008 State Route 840 was renamed the Officer Joseph D. Corr Memorial Highway, the road in which the chase took place.
Officer Corr had served with the New Hartford Police Department for 6 years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, parents and two sisters.