The replica revolver that Gates police have said Haley Rodriguez was wielding when she was shot and killed by an officer was a 7-inch-long fake pistol.
Police Chief Robert Long said Friday that the item apparently was the screw-on handle to a walking stick. An image of the item and the officer's bodyworn camera video was released during a news conference.
Rodriguez, 27, was allegedly in the middle of Spencerport Road, holding the item in one hand and a Labatt Blue beer can in the other, when an officer spotted her around 1 a.m. Oct. 4. In the video, the officer is heard repeatedly telling her to drop the object, which is roughly the size of a small revolver but Long said was incapable of firing.
"Put it down, please," the officer says in the video. "I don't want to hurt you ... Don't do it. Don't do it. Put it down please."
Police say Rodriguez raised the object toward the officer, who then opened fire. The interaction lasted about 20 seconds. Rodriguez died later that night at Strong Memorial Hospital.
Long said the officer fired five times. Family members have said she was struck in the face and chest.
The state Attorney General's Office is investigating the shooting, which is standard practice, as is the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
"This is a tragic event. This is a tragic incident," Long said. "There are no words. I feel bad for the family. ... She was somebody's daughter, somebody's sister ... there's a lot of family and friends. The officer is going through a lot as well."
The officer remains on leave.
