Utica fist fight escalates into shots fired incident

Utica fist fight escalates into shots fired incident
Yellow law enforcement tape isolating crime scene. Blurred view of city, toned in red and blue police car lights

Utica, New York- the Utica Police Department is investigating a Tuesday night incident where a fight between two individuals escalated into a shots fired call.

At approximately midnight Utica Police units were dispatched to the 1400 block of Dudley Ave regarding a possible shots fired investigation.

“Upon arrival the officers located a victim who stated that he and another male whom he is familiar with began to argue and engage in a physical fight when the male brandished what he believed was a handgun and fired a shot at him,” police said. “The male was struck in the face and immediately contacted 911.”

The officers were quickly able to determine that the male’s visible injuries were as a result of being shot with a pellet or BB gun and not a real firearm.

An investigator with the Criminal Investigations Division was assigned the case, and following obtaining statements, charged Eh LerDar Lay age 19 of Utica with assault in the second degree.

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