A Long Island state trooper hailed as a hero last fall was charged on Monday with staging a shooting that set off a manhunt for a nonexistent suspect, according to Nassau County prosecutors.
Thomas J. Mascia, 27, had told authorities that a gunman had shot him in the leg during a traffic stop, according to a criminal complaint — a report that shut down a major road and terrified the public, prosecutors said. Investigators later discovered that Mr. Mascia had actually shot himself, prosecutors said. He was charged with falsifying evidence and lying to law enforcement.
In the home in West Hempstead that Mr. Mascia shared with his parents, officers discovered a Smith & Wesson semiautomatic rifle with illegal modifications, according to the criminal complaints. His parents, Dorothy R. Mascia, 55, and Thomas Mascia, 62, were charged with possession of a firearm, also a felony.
All three turned themselves in on Monday at a New York State Police headquarters in East Farmingdale on Long Island — the same office where Mr. Mascia had worked until his recent resignation.
“He knew the depth and breadth of the response that comes with an officer shooting,” Anne T. Donnelly, the Nassau County district attorney, said at a news conference on Monday at Nassau County Courthouse in Mineola. Mr. Mascia and his parents had earlier been arraigned in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead.
“He knew the fear it would create, but he did it anyway, whether for sympathy, attention, to ease a wounded ego,” she added. “What he did was unconscionable.”
All three family members pleaded not guilty and were released without having to post bail. They are due back in court on Feb. 5.
State police officials last year said they were investigating whether Mr. Mascia suffered from mental health problems. The investigation revealed “no apparent red flags,” nor did a routine psychological exam, said Steven G. James, the superintendent of the state police.
But Jeffrey Lichtman, who represents the family, said in a statement that “this case is a tragedy that was caused by unseen and untreated mental health issues, and now an entire family is suffering for it.”
The incident began early on Oct. 30 when, while on patrol, Mr. Mascia pulled over on the Southern State Parkway and placed several .22-caliber shell casings on the ground, the complaint said. Mr. Mascia then drove away and shot himself in the leg.
Mr. Mascia returned to the staged crime scene and reported over his police radio that he had been shot by a man driving a black Dodge Charger, the complaint said. Officers rushed to the scene and closed the roadway, jamming up traffic for miles.
Mr. Mascia was treated at Nassau University Medical Center. On the day of his release, family, friends and state troopers gathered outside, applauding as he was rolled out in a wheelchair, smiling.
The authorities soon discovered inconsistencies in his account of the shooting that abruptly ended the search for a suspect and the getaway car, Maj. Stephen J. Udice, the commander of Troop L, said at a news conference a week after the incident. The state police promptly launched internal and criminal investigations, and Mr. Mascia was suspended without pay.
“I can tell you that from my seat, I’m very disappointed,” Major Udice said.
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