Nassau Man Convicted Of Attempted Murder For Shooting At Officers

UNIONDALE, NY — A Uniondale man was convicted today of four counts of attempted murder for shooting at Nassau County police officers after a traffic stop in 2018.

Duane Costa, 37, of Uniondale, was convicted of four counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree criminal use of a firearm and three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He is due back in court for sentencing on Jan. 27, 2022, and faces 40 years to life in prison.

“Duane Costa deliberately fired multiple rounds at four police officers with the clear intention to end their lives. Even when his gun fell to the ground, Costa did not stop, pulled out another gun, aimed at the officers’ heads, and continued to shoot to kill,” said Acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith. “It is nothing short of a miracle that these officers survived, and only by their reserve and restraint that the defendant was apprehended without bloodshed. Costa made a violent choice when he was stopped by police — a choice that will result in a life sentence.”

According to Smith, around 12:45 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2018, Costa's car was stopped by two Nassau County police officers at Midwood Street and Lafayette Avenue in Hempstead for failing to signal a left turn. The officers smelled alcohol and saw that Costa was not wearing a seatbelt. They saw him adjust something on his waistband, and the officers ordered him out of the car.

Costa got out of the car, pushed past the officers and ran. He reached toward his waist and a .40 caliber pistol fell to the ground. He then pulled out another handgun and fired multiple rounds at the officers as he fled. As he rounded a corner, he came face-to-face with two other officers, who were nearby for a separate incident.

Costa fired more shots at those other officers, and then continued running. Members of the Nassau and Hempstead police departments set up a perimeter around the area, and Costa was found a short time later in the yard of a home on Meriam Street.

Both of the handguns were recovered, and no one was injured during the shooting. None of the officers fired