By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-06 19:25:50 | Updated at 2024-11-06 21:26:26
2 hours ago
The New York state trooper who claimed he was shot during a Long Island traffic stop is now under criminal investigation — as authorities continue to probe whether he lied about the entire saga.
Trooper Thomas Mascia, 27, was suspended without pay this week after police launched an internal review into his claims of getting shot during a traffic stop in West Hempstead on Oct. 30.
“We have reason to believe that the incident did not occur the way it was reported,” State Police Major Stephen Udice told a news conference Wednesday.
He added the probe was “far from over” as cops try to piece together exactly what unfolded when the trooper reported he was shot in the leg after stopping to help the driver of a black Dodge Charger on the Southern State Parkway.
“We still have many questions that require additional information to answer and we will continue working to answer those questions about this incident,” Udice said.
Police declined to release further details about the investigation but confirmed they were not searching for any other “persons of interest” tied to the case.
The latest revelation comes after investigators on Monday abruptly canceled the alert they’d issued for the vehicle Mascia said was involved in the incident. Investigators then executed a search warrant at his West Hempstead home.
Large amounts of cash and weapons were seized from the property at the time, according to police sources.
Udice said Wednesday that the trooper’s shield, ID and service weapon were confiscated as part of his suspension.
Police, meanwhile, are continuing to work alongside the Nassau County District Attorney’s office to determine if any charges should be filed, he added.
Mascia was released from hospital last Friday after undergoing surgery for the gunshot wound he said he sustained during the ordeal.
The trooper claimed the motorist opened fire on him as he approached the vehicle on the median at about 11:30 p.m.
In the wake of the incident, police launched a manhunt for the purported gunman and put out a $10,000 reward for any information tied to the case.
The Post reached out to Mascia but didn’t hear back.
Mascia is believed to be the son of Thomas Mascia Sr., a former partner of NYPD Officer Michael Dowd — one of the most corrupt officers in the Big Apple’s history, multiple sources said.
The pair were both busted in the 1990s for running a cocaine ring linking Brooklyn to Suffolk County.
