A state trooper from Long Island, New York, identified as Thomas J. Mascia, has been placed under arrest following irregularities in his account of a supposed shooting incident that occurred on the Southern State Parkway last year. After a detailed investigation, it appears that the perception of the event may have been falsely reported, as announced by the state police. The 27-year-old trooper from West Hempstead, who had been serving in the state trooper’s department since 2019, turned himself over in the early hours of Monday morning at the East Farmingdale state police barracks.
Charges were brought against Mascia, including tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting an occurrence, and official misconduct. His case has been scheduled for a hearing at the Nassau County First District Court in Hempstead. Adding to the complications, Mascia’s parents – his father, a former NYPD officer bearing the same name, and his mother, Dorothy Mascia – also turned themselves into the authorities on the same day.
The parents were subsequently arrested and imposed with the charge of fourth-degree criminal possession of a firearm, as per a statement issued by the state police. Since early November, Mascia has been sidelined without pay since the initial announcement of an ongoing investigation into the alleged shooting event, and the discontinuation of the search for the suspected assailant’s vehicle, the description of which was given by Mascia.
The Nassau County District Attorney, Anne Donnelly, ascertained that ‘certain discrepancies’ were the focal points of their investigations, without going into specific details. Authorities reported that they had conducted a search in Mascia’s residence on Gruber Court and subsequently seized firearms from there. Vehicles parked outside his house were also searched as part of the investigation.
During Mascia’s patrol on October 30, at around 11:45 pm, the trooper claimed to be shot in his right leg, close to his knee, following an encounter with a stranded black Dodge Charger on the parkway in West Hempstead, as per police records. Steven James, State Police Superintendent, informed the press after Mascia’s supposed shooting that the suspected assailant was a male driving an assumed late-model Black Dodge Charger equipped with temporary New Jersey plates, a matte grey dual exhaust tips, and rear tinting.
In the account given to the police, Mascia reported that he pulled up behind the Black Charger and overheard numerous popping sounds as he stepped out of his vehicle, soon after which he discovered that he had sustained a gunshot wound. The injury, as described by the trooper, was caused by a bullet of .22-caliber which had struck his right thigh, near his knee. The suspected vehicle quickly left the scene, following the incident.
Mascia did not fire any retaliatory shots as the suspected vehicle sped off the scene immediately after the shooting. According to statements given by Mascia, he applied a first aid tourniquet to his injured leg and proceeded to make a call for backup and support. As reported through police transmissions, the trooper informed the control room of his situation following the incident, stating ‘Shots fired, shots fired, I’m hit’, and provided his current location on the parkway. He was also heard saying, ‘I’m bleeding pretty good in the leg’, and added that he had tightened a tourniquet.
Two days post-incidence, Mascia was discharged from the Nassau University Medical Center and was greeted with a show of solidarity when hundreds of fellow state troopers and police officers gathered outside the medical facility. While being wheeled out in a wheelchair, Mascia was heard saying, ‘I’m feeling good,’ radiating positivity despite the circumstances.
In addition to Mascia’s current predicament, there have been previous legal incidents involving his father. Public records indicate that Thomas Sr. was relieved of his duties from the NYPD in the year 1993 on grounds of involvement in the illicit drug trade, specifically dealing in cocaine.
While serving at the 94th Precinct in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Thomas Mascia Sr. was officially dismissed on February 10, the same day he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, as per earlier reports. Furthermore, the report also mentioned that Thomas Mascia Sr. and four other cops from New York City residing in Long Island were arrested by Suffolk County Police in May 1992. These officers were accused of buying cocaine while on duty and subsequently dispersing it on Long Island.