Man dies from injuries during break-in at First Unitarian Church

A 24-year-old man has died from injuries sustained while breaking into the First Unitarian Church of Rochester.

Officers were called to a location near the church, 220 S. Winton Road, about 12:48 a.m. for 911 call to assist "with a possibly violent subject experiencing a mental health crisis," Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli said.

The man's father called 911. Officers arrived within eight minutes and learned the man had left the home prior to police arriving.

Church officials said the alarm sounded around 2 a.m., and police were summoned to the scene.

The man, a Rochester resident, was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital after suffering severe lacerations from jagged, broken glass, Ciminelli said. He was pronounced dead at 10:45 a.m. Thursday.

"Due to state law protecting the identity of subjects involved in a mental hygiene situation, we are not releasing the subject's identity at this time," Ciminelli said. He said authorities are awaiting a determination on the cause of death from the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office.

Rev. Joel Miller, interim senior minister at the church, said the man "ran from his family home nearby" and smashed a window with a rock near the church's front door and entered the building.

The man ran through the church and out the back door and was found by first responders on the lawn in front of the church, he said.

The man did not take anything or intentionally damage property inside the church, Miller said, who added that he believed that the man was already injured before arriving at the church.

"We don't believe he broke into the church to steal at this point," Ciminelli said. "We believe this was part of a mental health crisis."

He added, "We don't believe there was any intent to target the church. We don't believe there was any intent to commit a crime."

Ciminelli said the man had minor injuries before breaking into the church. Officers searching the area about 1:50 a.m. heard a man screaming on the south side of the church, Ciminelli said.

The man's father called 911 at about the same time to report he heard his son screaming in that area.

Officers approached the man, who was "covered with blood" and attempted to "render aid," Ciminelli said. The man fled, but officers caught up with him and restrained him until an ambulance arrived at 2:06 a.m.

He said officers used "ground stabilization" to restrain him. "That is basically holding him in place until he could be put on an ambulance gurney," Ciminelli said.

The man's father assisted in restraining him. He arrived at Strong at about 2:21 a.m., according to Ciminelli.

Ciminelli said the man "forcibly entered the church by breaking a window with a rock" and sustained "severe" upper-body lacerations by crawling over the "jagged glass."

He added, "There was an extensive amount of blood throughout the interior of the church."

Authorities couldn't determine why the man went to the church, but said that he "lived in the general area."

"On behalf of the entire Rochester Police Department," Ciminelli said, "I would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this most difficult time."

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