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Update
The state trooper shot in the leg on the Southern State Parkway on Wednesday is now under investigation himself.
New York State Police executed a search warrant at Trooper Thomas Mascia’s West Hempstead home on Monday, where investigators reportedly removed several bags of evidence.
They have also canceled the call to find a black Charger.
“This remains an ongoing investigation, and further updates will follow,” police said.
Newsday is also reporting from a police source that Mascia has been suspended without pay.
The alleged incident occurred about 11:45 p.m. on the westbound side of the parkway between exits 17 and 18, police said.
According to the initial account (see below), Mascia was just a car’s length away from the sedan he was approaching when he was shot and that no words were exchanged between the officer and anyone in the car.
Cops noted that Mascia was able to retrieve his first aid bag and tend to his wound until help arrived.
He was struck in the theigh with a .22 caliber round, treated and discharged from Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow on Friday.
Top photo: Trooper Thomas Mascia was injured in August 2022 while removing debris from I-95 in Westchester County, according to a New York State Police Facebook post in September 2022. While Mascia recovered at home, he was delivered a specially made quilt that was mailed from a foundation in Oregon called Quilts for Cops (Source: Facebook/NYS Police).
Original post:
He only wanted to help.
When 27-year-old state trooper Thomas Mascia pulled up behind a dark-colored sedan parked on the median of the Southern State Parkway just before midnight Wednesday, his plan was to assist someone who seemed to be in need.
But as Mascia approached the car in West Hempstead on foot, he heard gunshots and immediately felt the pain of a bullet wound in his thigh. As he retreated to his police vehicle and readied to return fire, the suspect sped away, state police said.
Mascia is recovering from surgery and in stable condition at Nassau University Medical Center, while state police — together with New York City, Nassau and Suffolk police — have launched a massive manhunt for “one of the most dangerous individuals in our society.”
“Trooper Mascia’s one and only intention was to help someone who appeared to need help, (but) he became a target,” Major Stephen J. Udice said. “It is my belief that anyone that would target a law enforcement officer whose primary purpose is to keep all of us safe is one of the most dangerous individuals in our society.
“We all need to recognize that if someone that will target one of those that is out there to keep all of us safe, he is or she is a great danger to every single one of us,” Udice added.
With that said, Udice implored the public to be on the lookout for a dark-colored sedan with a tinted back window; a custom, matte gray exhaust tip; and a temporary New Jersey license plate that reads 997636T. The major indicated that the car is likely a Dodge Charger.
The incident occurred about 11:45 p.m. on the westbound side of the parkway between exits 17 and 18, police said. Mascia was just a car’s length away from the sedan he was approaching when he was shot and that no words were exchanged between the officer and anyone in the car.
Cops noted that the injured trooper was able to retrieve his first aid bag and tend to his wound until help arrived. Cops believe he was struck with a .22 caliber round.
The New York State Troopers PBA on Thursday said in a statement that they are “sickened” by the shooting.
“We are sickened by the actions of this cowardly individual who thought nothing of shooting a Trooper who was simply doing his job,” the statement reads. “This perpetrator must be brought to swift justice. We thank the medical providers who are providing our brother with the care he needs, and we will support him as he makes what we hope is a speedy recovery.
“This incident underscores the dangers our members bravely face every day in service of all New Yorkers and is a reminder that any interaction has the potential to turn deadly,” the statement continues. “This must serve as a call to action for our state leaders to work closely with our union to ensure the safety of PBA members and the public they protect and serve.”
Top photo: Trooper Thomas Mascia was injured in August 2022 while removing debris from I-95 in Westchester County, according to a New York State Police Facebook post in September 2022. While Mascia recovered at home, he was delivered a specially made quilt that was mailed from a foundation in Oregon called Quilts for Cops (Source: Facebook/NYS Police).
