By Mattie Fitzpatrick | September 2, 2024
Photo Credit: Mattie Fitzpatrick / The ASP
A University Police Officer reportedly fired their weapon after being hit by a vehicle during a traffic stop on the University at Albany Uptown Campus on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
The four suspects, who are Albany locals that do not attend the university, were previously banned from campus earlier in the night due to threatening and harassing conduct, which led to the traffic stop on Center Drive East.
The suspects were eventually apprehended in the emergency room of Albany Medical Center Hospital where the chase came to an end.
“While the investigation is still ongoing, the information currently available to UPD indicates that while both rounds fired by the officer struck the suspect vehicle, none of the occupants were hit by either round,” UPD Chief Paul Burlingame stated in a news release.
Despite this assertion, WNYT News Channel 13 released police radio transmission which initially reports that a suspect was shot and required treatment at Albany Medical Center Hospital.
An officer in pursuit can be heard on the police radio transmission released by WNYT saying, “We’re at Albany Med ER, I’ve got two suspects detained. In the ER. One shot.”
An officer in pursuit can be heard on the police radio transmission released by WNYT. The interaction continues, “You are with that one individual, the one with the gunshot wound, correct,” the officer confirms before they are directed to stay with the suspect as they received treatment.
If a suspect was injured or not during pursuit is unclear due to the discrepancy in police radio transmission and statements released by UPD.
UPD denied a Freedom of Information Law request in regards to the incident, citing a grant for the incident report would interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation, but provided the ASP with Chief Burlingame’s official statement.
Statement from UPD Chief Burlingame regarding the Aug. 27 incident.
Photo Credit:Mattie Fitzpatrick / The ASP
The suspect driver faces three felonies, including Attempted Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, Assault in the 2nd Degree and Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree, as well as other traffic violations and misdemeanors.
Two occupants were charged with misdemeanors and the four occupants were not charged. The driver, 19-year-old Anthony Taylor, was arraigned last Tuesday.
The officer previously struck by the suspect vehicle is a 12-year veteran of the department and was not seriously injured, according to UPD.
It’s believed that this is the first time in the history of UPD that an officer has fired their weapon in the line of duty.
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