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A suspect in an upstate shooting was killed and a New York State trooper was wounded in an exchange of gunfire on Interstate 87 in Rockland County on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The wild scene on the New York State Thruway in the town of Ramapo unfolded around 2:55 p.m. after troopers pulled over a white Mercedes tied to an earlier shooting in Albany that left a man critically injured, according to police.
During the stop, the male suspect — who was the sole occupant of the vehicle — began firing at two troopers, authorities said.
The cops returned fire and struck the man, killing him, police said.
One trooper suffered a minor injury and the other was unharmed.
Nearby resident George Caccamo said he was shocked when he heard the gunshots ring out.
“I was sitting in the house. I was watching TV. Next thing I know, I heard a big bang and I figured, okay, it’s one of the truckers, probably another blow out,” he told CBS New York. “I never imagined something like this.”
At a press conference on Wednesday night, Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins confirmed that the driver killed by state troopers is suspected of shooting a man in the head in Albany around 1 p.m.
The victim was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where he remains in critical condition, Hawkins told reporters.
“Within minutes the [Albany Police Department’s] crime analysis center had identified the vehicle, the license plate and was following the vehicle on city cameras throughout Albany,” he said.
Police tracked the vehicle as it fled southbound on I-87, and issued a “Be on the Lookout,” notice to state police with a description of the vehicle, which was pulled over about 120 miles south of Albany.
It’s not clear if the suspect had an intended destination, Hawkins said.
The suspect and the Albany shooting victim have not yet been identified.
“This individual engaged in activity that could not only potentially take an individual’s life … but could have injured others in the area,” Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said.
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