SAYRE – A large number of law enforcement officers from the Twin Tiers were at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre on Thursday morning as Chemung County Sheriff’s Investigator Mike Theetge was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Rochester.
Theetge was critically injured on March 29 in the line of duty. The sheriff’s investigator was conducting shoplifting enforcement in Big Flats when he was hit by the vehicle of a suspect he was trying to stop.
The investigator was life-flighted to Robert Packer Hospital and was listed in critical condition.
Twenty-four-year-old Dominick J. Haley was arrested at the scene and charged with assault on a police officer, a Class C violent felony; second degree assault, a Class D felony; and other misdemeanor counts for his role in the incident.
The driver of the vehicle, 24-year-old Fatiuna Massaline of Ithaca, was later apprehended and charged with assault on a police officer and first-degree reckless endangerment.
Both suspects were sent to the Chemung County Jail on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 property bond.
Theetge had been at the Robert Packer Hospital since the night of the incident. He was put into a medical transport van on Thursday morning and provided a full police escort to the facility in Rochester.
Chemung County Sheriff Bill Schrom posted an update on his department’s Facebook page following Theetge’s transfer from RPH to the rehab center. You can read the complete statement below:
Today marks 14 days since the incident that critically injured Investigator Mike Theetge. Over that period of time, Mike has been in a Trauma 1 ICU, a step-down ICU, a regular hospital room, and finally today on the road to a Rehab Center in Rochester, NY. He has made significant improvements in this short period of time, but still has a very long road to recovery ahead of him.
None of this improvement would have been possible without Mike’s own intestinal fortitude to fight hard for himself each day and having the loving support of his family and closest friends by his side every step of the way. Equally as important, has been the tremendous care Mike has received since this tragic incident occurred. This care has ranged from the Erway Ambulance attendants, the doctors and nurses of Guthrie Hospital in Corning, the medical flight team of Guthrie One, as well as the doctors and nurses at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA who treated him. Their compassion, care, and expertise toward Mike’s care has been second to none and they deserve every bit of recognition we can give them! A special thank you to the RPH security team for all their support each day that Mike had been there, but especially today in their assistance with helping coordinate his transfer and the impact that had on the hospital. A job well done!
The outpouring of support from Mike’s colleagues and the public for him and his family has been and continues to be absolutely incredible and overwhelming. The Undersheriff and I would like to acknowledge the men and women of our agency for everything they’ve done during this time to remain vigilant and supportive to their colleague and friend and his family, as well as to continue to serve our community at the same time.
A special thank you to our Criminal Investigation Division team led my Lt. Pete Ruhmel, Sgt. Jeremiah Ayers, and Investigator James Ritter who have worked hand-in-hand with Sr. Investigator Karl Appelbacher and Sr. Investigator Matt Lambert of the NYSP, and their whole team, to bring those responsible for Mike’s injuries to justice, as well as the Ithaca Police Department and all the other law enforcement agencies who assisted with that mission.
It is our hope that the next update you get from us is when Mike returns to work.
