New York State Police and the Nassau County district attorney are investigating a state trooper’s account that someone he thought was a stranded driver shot him as he attempted to help them on the Southern State Parkway last week, authorities said on Wednesday.
The trooper, Thomas Mascia, 27, was suspended without pay this week, New York State Police Major Stephen Udice said at a press briefing on Wednesday. He said the agency was conducting both criminal and internal investigations into the circumstances of the shooting that Mascia reported as happening around 11:45 p.m. last Wednesday.
New York State Police initially said Mascia had pulled over on the parkway near an exit in West Hempstead to assist the purportedly stranded driver of a black sedan when that person shot him in the leg and sped away. Officials hailed Mascia at a press conference last Thursday as a brave public servant and offered a $5,000 reward to anyone who helped find the alleged shooter.
Now, authorities are questioning that narrative.
“We have reason to believe that the incident did not occur the way it was reported,” Udice said. “The search for the Dodge Charger labeled as a vehicle of interest at the beginning of this investigation has been canceled. We are no longer looking for that vehicle, nor are we looking for any other vehicles. Additionally, there are no persons of interest that we are looking for.”
State police confirmed investigators executed a search warrant at Mascia’s home on Monday and said no charges had yet been filed.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said her office was partnering with state police to investigate “certain inconsistencies identified” in how the shooting was reported.
This story has been updated with comment from New York State Police Major Stephen Udice.
