A New York State Police trooper whose alleged shooting sparked a manhunt for a fleeing suspect last fall turned himself in on Monday on charges that include falsely reporting a crime.
State trooper Thomas Mascia has been charged with tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting a crime and official misconduct, CBS News reported. His parents are being charged with criminal possession of a firearm. All three turned themselves in to New York State Police in Farmingdale on Monday morning, CBS News said.
The office of District Attorney Anne Donnelly said a briefing was scheduled early Monday afternoon would reveal more information about the case.
Mascia, 27, has been under scrutiny since claiming in October that he had been shot in the leg by a suspect on Long Island’s Southern State Parkway in West Hempstead. Mascia had told investigators that he’d stopped to help an apparently stranded motorist, who then opened fire.
The alleged incident sparked a manhunt and generated $15,000 in offered reward money. Less than a week later, after being released from the hospital to cheers from his fellow officers, Mascia was the subject of an investigation and suspended without pay as police officials said the incident “did not occur the way it was reported.”
A search of the home the trooper shared with his parents, Thomas and Dorothy Mascia, yielded a stash of guns, steroids and $1 million.
CBS News noted that Mascia also claimed a 2022 accident with a hit-and-run driver, an allegation that police said is also under scrutiny.