A state trooper shot and critically injured a driver during a traffic stop in Sodus on Wednesday after the man began driving with the trooper partially inside the vehicle and pointed a handgun at him, according to New York State Police.
The driver was flown by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where police said he was in critical but stable condition. The trooper was not injured.
The encounter began around 5:08 p.m. Oct. 28 on Preemption Road, just south of Route 104, when a trooper assigned to the Wolcott station stopped a vehicle for vehicle and traffic violations.
A records check showed the driver had outstanding warrants for burglary and robbery, police said. A Wayne County sheriff’s deputy also responded to the scene.
According to State Police, the trooper approached the vehicle again and attempted to take the driver into custody. Police said the driver refused to get out and began moving the vehicle forward while the trooper was partially inside.
The driver then produced a handgun and pointed it at the trooper, who fired his service weapon and struck the man, police said.
State Police did not identify the driver or trooper in the release.
The State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating with assistance from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. Police described the incident as isolated and said there was no ongoing threat to public safety.
The investigation remains active.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
