City of Rochester
News Release
Mayor Robert J. Duffy Statement – Tyquan Rivera
(Friday, September 4, 2009) - I am glad that justice was served and I want to thank all of the people who played a role in this successful investigation and conviction, including Judge Joseph Valentino; District Attorney Mike Green and his staff; and the men and women of the Rochester Police Department. I also want to thank the members of the jury for their careful deliberations.
I am particularly happy for Anthony DiPonzio and his family who are now able to close this chapter of a story that is far from over.
And once again, I want to thank the Rochester Police officers and the medical professionals at Rochester General Hospital who saved Tony’s life that day. Their deeds, along with the example of strength and courage Tony and the DiPonzio family have provided this community, should always remain at the forefront of this tragic story. Tony DiPonzio has lifted us all up with his courage, perseverance and strength. The DiPonzio family epitomizes what a family should be -- in good times and bad. Officer DiPonzio never quit, and that is a lesson for us all.
This tragedy also underscored the incredible health care that our community is blessed to have. Dr. Maurer and all of the staff at the hospital, deserve every bit of recognition for their herculean efforts.
However, I will not lose sight of the larger societal issues that were at play on the day a 14-year-old boy decided to pick up a rifle and shoot a police officer. This community must do the work that is necessary to prevent this story from repeating itself. When these things happen, we must pause and ask, “Why?”
There are no easy answers for what transpired here. No matter how horrific his actions were Tyquan Rivera is still a child and he epitomizes another side of Rochester that we have to dig even deeper to try and change. Officer DiPonzio represents goodness and is an inspiration. Tyquan Rivera represents our community’s greatest challenge.
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