New York trooper shot on upstate highway during stop; suspect found dead
NEW YORK - A state trooper was shot and wounded during a traffic stop on an upstate New York highway Friday by a suspect who is believed to have later died by suicide, state police said.
Trooper Richard Albert was released from the hospital later Friday after being shot in the upper arm as he approached an SUV he pulled over for speeding, authorities said.
State police released a still photo from the trooper’s body-worn camera showing a passenger’s hand pointing a black handgun from the driver’s side window. The weapon had just been fired, with the spent shell casing still in the air.
"It was unprovoked," Deputy Superintendent Richard Allen said at a news conference. "There was nothing that took place prior to that other than just stopping the car."
Police identified the male passenger who fired the shot as Nelson Troche, 32, of Schenectady. He fled into a wooded area as Albert returned fire, Allen said. Troche was found about 90 minutes later with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at an Albany hospital.
The woman driving the vehicle was taken into custody. Allen said the SUV was traveling in excess of 100 mph on Interstate 88 in Duanesburg, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Albany, when it was pulled over.
Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.