Shootout on New York State Thruway leaves one dead, one officer injured

A vehicular stop by New York State Troopers led to an exchange of gunfire following suspicions that the vehicle was connected to an earlier shooting episode. The suspect vehicle was halted when two troopers identified it as fitting the description of a car involved in a previous drive-by shooting. Upon attempting the vehicle stop, the driver purportedly began shooting, prompting the police to return fire and mortally wound the suspect, according to law enforcement's account. An official statement read: "The subject, hit by our officers' issued firearms during the traffic stop, is now deceased." One officer was slightly wounded in the shootout, while his partner was uninjured. The deceased suspect’s identity has not yet been publicly disclosed, but Albany police have confirmed that he was the same person wanted for the Albany drive-by shooting. The reason for that shooting remains unknown. The victim in Albany was critically injured, sustaining a bullet wound to the head, Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins reported on Wednesday night. The scene of the shootout in Hillburn resulted in a prolonged closure of the southbound lanes of the freeway, resulting in heavy traffic delays lasting well into the night. Investigations into both shootings are currently underway.