BATAVIA, N.Y. — The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office said a sergeant has died in the line of duty after an overnight incident at Batavia Downs. Two arrests have since been made in connection to his death.
According to the release, around 12:45 a.m. Sunday, Sergeant Thomas A. Sanfratello, a 32-year veteran of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, died while he was working a special assignment detail at the Batavia Downs while on duty.
The sheriff's office said Sergeant Sanfratello and casino security were informed about an altercation inside the facility at the bar area. After a verbal altercation, Sergeant Sanfratello, alongside Batavia Downs security staff, began escorting out two patrons — who have been identified as Michael J. Elmore, 33, and Lyndsey Jean Wilcox, 39 — at the request of the Batavia Downs security staff.
Wilcox became physically combative with Sergeant Sanfratello. Sanfratello, along with assistance from the Batavia Downs security staff, eventually gained control of Wilcox and placed her under arrest.
After that, the sheriff's office said Elmore began to interfere with the arrest and became physically combative, attacking Sergeant Sanfratello.
Batavia Downs security officers and civilians attempted to assist Sergeant Sanfratello with taking Elmore into custody, and a physical fight ensued. During the fight, Sergeant Sanfratello attempted to use a Taser on Elmore. Elmore continued to be combative, police said.
Sergeant Sanfratello became unresponsive during the fight, and CPR was started immediately.
Despite these life-saving efforts, Sergeant Sanfratello was pronounced deceased by the Genesee County coroner.
Elmore has been charged with one felony count of aggravated manslaughter, one felony count of aggravated assault upon a police officer, and one felony count of burglary.
The charges for Wilcox include one felony count of burglary and one felony count of attempted assault.
Elmore and Wilcox were held at the Genesee County Jail, and bond amounts were set. Both are scheduled to appear in Town of Batavia Court on Tuesday.
Batavia Police on Sunday night announced charges for both Elmore and Wilcox in connection to Sanfratello's death.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family members of Sergeant Sanfratello and all the members of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office at this extremely difficult time,” Batavia Police Department Chief Shawn Heubusch said in a statement.
The City of Batavia Police Department is investigating, and are asking that anyone who may have witnessed this or has video of the incident to contact the City of Batavia Police Department Detective Bureau at 585-345-6311, or submit a tip at www.bataviapolice.org.
The Genesee County Sheriff's Office issued a statement Sunday afternoon, mourning Sanfratello's death:
It is with the deepest regret and sorrow that the Genesee County Sheriff reports the line-of-duty death of Sergeant Thomas A. Sanfratello, age 54, who passed away on March 10, 2024, following his involvement in an incident while working a special assignment detail at Batavia Downs. The City of Batavia Police Department will be leading the investigation into this incident.
Sergeant Sanfratello served 32 years with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.
He began his career as a Dispatcher on February 29, 1992, was appointed a Deputy Sheriff in 1996, and in 2007, Sanfratello was promoted to Sergeant.
Sergeant Sanfratello's family would like to extend their sincere appreciation for all the overwhelming support they have received from friends and fellow first responders.
Funeral arrangements are being completed by Gilmartin Funeral Home & Cremation Company, Inc. in Batavia.
Batavia Downs also issued a statement on Sunday, by president and CEO Henry Wojtaszek, on its Facebook page.
The Batavia Downs Family is extremely saddened by the loss of Sergeant SanFratello and send our very deepest condolences to his family. We rarely have incidents at our facility in large part due to the incredible efforts of people like Sergeant SanFratello.
While words cannot express our sorrow, our thoughts and prayers are with the SanFratello family and his extended first responder family.
The safety of our guests and our dedicated staff is our highest priority and we will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement throughout their investigation.
We are committed to assisting the SanFratello family and the entire community through this difficult time.
The family of Sgt. Sanfratello issued this another statement Monday morning: "We would just like our privacy at this difficult time and he will be remembered as a loving father, son, brother and sheriff and will be greatly missed by all that knew him."
