Trooper Resigns After Shooting Himself On LI Highway: DA

MINEOLA, NY — Charges have been filed against a state trooper who was suspended following a shooting incident on the Southern State Parkway in October, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a joint news conference with the state police on Monday.

Thomas Mascia, 27, of West Hempstead, faces charges of falsely reporting an incident and official misconduct, the DA said. He has resigned his position with the state police, Superintendent Steven James announced.

Additionally, Mascia's parents, Thomas Mascia Sr., 62, and Dorothy Mascia, 55, also of West Hempstead, are charged with one count of criminal possession of a firearm, Donnelly said.

On the night of October 30, former Trooper Mascia reported that he had been shot in the leg while checking on a disabled vehicle in the median on the Southern State Parkway westbound near Exit 17, police initially said. Mascia was transported to the hospital for treatment for a gunshot wound to his right leg. The report also triggered an intense search to locate the vehicle described by Mascia, state police said.

An investigation by the state police and the Nassau County DA's office revealed that Mascia shot himself in the leg before making a false report to state police, authorities said.

State police said they found no evidence to substantiate his story of stopping on the highway to check on a disabled vehicle.

A search warrant of the Mascia family home resulted in the seizure of a firearm that was illegally possessed, Donnelly said.

Mascia, Thomas Mascia Sr. and Dorothy Mascia were arraigned in district court in Hempstead and released. They are due back in court on February 5.