New York State Police have identified the trooper involved in a fatal shooting Sunday night at a campground in the town of Cairo.
Trooper Ronal Diaz-Arriaza, who joined the State Police in 2023, was identified Thursday as the member who fired his weapon during the Sept. 14 incident, according to an update from State Police.
The man who died was previously identified as Amir Hamza, 45.
State Police said troopers assigned to SP Catskill responded around 8:22 p.m. to the Whip-O-Will Campground on County Route 31 after an open-line 911 call in which a possible ongoing domestic incident could be heard in the background.
When troopers arrived, they found a man who had suffered an apparent head injury during a physical altercation. The man told police he had been assaulted and directed troopers to a nearby camper where Hamza was located.
The injured man was taken to Albany Medical Center and was reported to be in stable condition.
Police said troopers approached the camper, knocked on the door and announced themselves as State Police.
According to the State Police account, Hamza then exited the camper and advanced toward one of the troopers while extending his right arm and pointing what appeared to be a black pistol directly at him.
State Police said the trooper moved out of Hamza’s line of approach, drew his service weapon and fired, striking Hamza.
Troopers then secured the scene and began providing first aid. CPR and an automated external defibrillator were used until emergency medical personnel arrived, but Hamza was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later determined the weapon Hamza was carrying was a black pistol-style BB gun.
The incident remains under investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the State Police Troop F Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the SP Catskill Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 845-344-5300.
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