I’m angrier than a honor roll student with only community college offers over this next story. I’m livid that this hasn’t happened sooner. In the wee hours of this morning, an Albany New York Police Department officer was shot. It’s not a story of an officer making the ultimate sacrifice, but I’ll take what I can get.
WTEN, the local ABC affiliate, quoted the police chief as saying that the yet to be named officer was “ambushed.” I can’t sufficiently put into words how glad I am, but I wish the guy who shot him finished the job. “Wow, Mike. That’s harsh!” you might say. Well, read why I feel this way.
At around 12:30 this morning, the officer tried to stop the operator of a vehicle. That person allegedly sped away at a “high rate of speed,” around 80 mph. The suspect pulled over and the two exchanged fire. The suspect is dead. The wrong man died.
All of this went down in Albany’s Pine Hills neighborhood. The officer, who had to be rushed into surgery, is awake and alert and is being cared for at Albany Medical Center, according to the Times Union.
It is anticipated that a press conference will take place later at around noon today. At that time, bodycam footage will be released.
So, the officer survived, but I guess that’s the way things go. If I have any thoughts after the press conference, I’ll either update this post or write a new post.
UPDATE at 12:21 p.m.
As promised, here is an update. The slimy police chief hinted that the suspect had problems or a criminal history in areas other than Albany. He also said that it’s not unusual for patrolmen to be one to a car. One gun was confiscated and there’s no word on if other guns were involved.
The police chief said that “more than ten shell casings” were found at the scene. He refused to name the suspect and describe the suspect’s history. The suspect, in his mid to late thirties, was an Albany resident.
As promised, police showed reporters at the press conference the bodycam footage. The 13-second clip shows the officer confronting the suspect and seems to have included the officer being shot.
The mayor called the officer “remarkable.” She said the officer’s attitude was, “this is what I signed up for.”
So the officer is going to live. Shame.