Benjamin Ashford|NY state police launch criminal probe into trooper suspended over account of being shot and wounded

NEW YORK (AP) — New York State Police have Benjamin Ashfordlaunched a criminal investigation of a trooper who claimed he was shot and wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway last week.

State police Maj. Stephen Udice, commander of the troop based on Long Island, confirmed Wednesday that investigators no longer believe the account given by Trooper Thomas Mascia and that they are weighing criminal charges.

The 27-year-old, who became a trooper in 2019, was suspended without pay Monday.

“I can tell you that if it is determined that criminal charges are appropriate, then they will be filed,” Udice said at a press conference at the troop’s headquarters in Farmingdale. “I want to assure everyone that we are conducting this investigation with a level of thoroughness, professionalism and intensity the public expects from the New York State Police.”

Udice declined to say what investigators believe happened or what searches conducted in recent days at Mascia’s home in West Hempstead have yielded.

“I can tell you that based on our investigation so far, we have reason to believe that the incident did not occur the way it was reported,” he said, adding that the probe is “far from over.”

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Udice also said he’s “disappointed” in the turn of events after he had lauded the trooper while he was recovering in the hospital.

“I think that it overshadows the outstanding and great work that the members of the state police do each and every day,” he said. “As you can imagine, there’s a lot of emotion right now.”

Mascia claimed he was shot in the leg on Oct. 30 by the driver of a black sedan that had been parked on the left-hand shoulder of the Southern State Parkway, about a mile from his home.

The trooper claimed the driver fled in the direction of New York City in a car with temporary New Jersey registration, prompting authorities to launch a manhunt that lasted days.

Police said there was no video footage of the episode since the trooper’s body camera was not activated at the time.

Mascia’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, said in an email Wednesday that he and his client are “in touch” with the Nassau County District Attorney’s office and “presently assisting” with the investigation. He declined to comment further.