DUANESBURG — The president of the state troopers union said the bail granted to the driver of the car carrying a passenger who wounded a trooper on I-88 on Friday is far too low.
The New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association’s Charles W. Murphy said in a statement that the union is shocked by Glenville Town Justice John Lockwood’s decision to set cash bail at $5,000 for the woman alleged to have been involved in a traffic stop that resulted in the shooting of Trooper Richard Albert.
Murphy noted that Schenectady County Assistant District Attorney Peter Willis recommended bail in the amount of $100,000 — a far more appropriate sum, in the union’s view.
“While we understand Judge Lockwood has discretion in setting bail, we contend that with the charges faced by this defendant — coupled with the reality that our Trooper’s life was altered forever and nearly lost — a higher bail amount would have reflected the grave situation faced by all Troopers who responded to this incident yesterday,” Murphy’s statement said.
The charge or charges filed against the woman weren’t immediately available. State Police said she was driving the car that was stopped for traveling over 100 mph eastbound on I-88 in Duanesburg when Albert pulled her over around 11 a.m.
Police said Albert was shot in the upper left arm and shoulder area by passenger Nelson Troche, 32, of Schenectady. The woman was taken into custody at the scene, but Troche fled toward Darby Hill Road in Duanesburg where he was found about 90 minutes later with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police said they administered first aid to Troche, who according to state correction records was released from prison after serving time for manslaughter related to an incident in the Bronx. Troche was placed on a medical flight helicopter to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Albert, assigned…
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