A suspect accused of shooting a state trooper has died, state police said. The suspect, Nelson Troche, 32, of Schenectady, is believed to have shot himself. He was taken to Albany Medical Center and pronounced dead.
All lanes of I-88 have now reopened, New York State Police said.
Meanwhile, the soldier who was shot, Richard Albert, is recovering. The police officer, who has been on the job for more than 20 years, was treated and later released from Ellis Hospital for a gunshot wound to the arm.
It started around 11 a.m. Friday, when Albert spotted an SUV he saw going over 100 mph on Interstate 88. The routine traffic stop quickly turned dangerous when the shots rang out from inside the stopped vehicle, with one of the bullets hitting Albert.
The state police released this dramatic photo of the gun being pointed at the state trooper.
After the “officer needs assistance” call, police from numerous area agencies responded to the scene. A manhunt was launched and, in less than two hours, two suspects – the alleged gunman and another person in the SUV – were arrested.
No one else was injured.
Trooper Richard Albert (New York State Police)
Traffic was blocked for a time in the search area. Businesses that had received impulse alerts locked their doors to prevent any armed suspects from entering. Things returned to normal around 1pm.
A logging truck driver pulled right in front of the SUV after a state trooper was shot on I-88, preventing the suspect from driving away. (Travis Pelepzuck)
Every day, @nyspolice soldiers put their safety on the line to protect us.
One of our soldiers was shot in the line of duty during a traffic stop today. Fortunately, he is expected to recover.
My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of our soldier.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) June 16, 2023
⚠️Traffic Advisory⚠️ I-88 is closed in both directions between exit 24 and exit 23 (Schenectady and Schoharie county line) for a police investigation. Please avoid the area.
— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) June 16, 2023
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