More information has been released about what led to a shooting leaving two officers in the Collar City hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Michael Howard has more on the altercation as it happened.
TROY, N.Y. -- Police say it all started around 10:45 p.m. Saturday night when they received a call about an attempted carjacking. Officer Comitale, responded to the area and located a man who fit the description of the suspect.
“Officer Comitale radioed for assistance, began to follow the suspect, exited his patrol vehicle and followed him on foot,” said Troy Police Chief John Tedesco.
That’s when the chase began.
“At that time officer Chad Klein was responding to assist, came up 112th Street from 5th Avenue where he ran into the suspect,” said Tedesco.
That’s when police say the suspect opened fired on the officers. Klein was shot before exiting his vehicle. The three exchanged a barrage of bullets -- more than 20 rounds.
Officer Comitale was shot in the legs, Klein in the shoulder.
The shooter police say, 39-year-old Thaddeus Faison, was shot multiple times, and still put up a fight after being tased, as four officers tried to put him in handcuffs. He later died at the hospital.
Faison, and Albany resident has a long wrap sheet dating back to 1999, with arrests for things like criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon and multiple parole violations.
“I’m not surprised they took the act of bravery that they did," said Tedesco.
Officer Klein is a veteran of the Gulf War and is married with several children, Comitale is an evidence technician and a member of the department’s SWAT team.
“They’re both two young up-comers in the department," said Tedesco.
The investigation is far from over, the intersection where this incident occurred was still blocked off by police Sunday, at last check both officers are still at Albany Medical Center recovering.