Cortland Resident Frank Judd. (Photo provided by Timothy A. Bennett, Owner & Publisher of The Cortland Voice).
Frank Judd’s work shift at Grand Union on Friday was anything but ordinary. Judd, who lives in an apartment on Owego Street, was visited by law enforcement agents at work who shared with him something unexpected.
Officers from the City of Cortland Police Department told Judd they needed his permission to check his apartment in connection with an hours-long standoff police had had that day with Adam Tortorice -- a Cortland man with outstanding state parole warrants. Tortorice allegedly made a threat to an individual while wielding a homemade weapon, police say, and resisted being apprehended by parole officials last Friday night. He allegedly took shelter at an apartment on Owego Street and was eventually arrested by Cortland PD that night after a few hours.
“Officers came in with a paper for me to sign to give them permission because they were searching for a loaded handgun,” Judd said. “And they did find it. They explained to me that this man had a warrant out for his arrest because he was in violation of parole.
As Tortorice remained in the apartment in his standoff with police, he cut a hole in the ceiling and navigated the inside of the house between the first and second floors. Eventually, he crash landed in Judd’s bedroom.
Broken ceiling. (Photo provided by Timothy A. Bennett, Owner & Publisher of The Cortland Voice).
“That’s where he fell down,” Judd said, pointing at a spot in his apartment in an exclusive video captured by The Cortland Voice. “He just kinda hit the floor while I was at work. None of my collections of my possessions were damaged in any way,”
After he hit the floor, Tortorice was quickly apprehended with the assistance of a sheriff’s office K9 unit.
The homemade handgun police alleged was used in the incident was recovered, and is in possession of Cortland Police Department. No charges were filed against Tortorice regarding the weapons since no victim officially came forward, police said.
Tortorice is due in Cortland City Court on Aug. 23.
