State trooper turns himself in after Long Island parkway shooting: officials
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (PIX11) – A New York State trooper turned himself on Monday following inconsistencies in his story about a shooting that left him injured on Long Island's Southern State Parkway, according to officials.
Thomas Mascia, 27, was suspended without pay after he told troopers he was shot by a driver while he was patrolling the parkway last October. That account fell apart days after he was released from the hospital for treatment for his gunshot wound.
A search for the alleged gunman was also called off.
“Based on our investigation so far, we have reason to believe that the incident did not occur the way it was reported,” Troop L Commander Major Stephen J. Udice said during a news conference on Nov. 6.
A police investigation found $1 million, a stockpile of steroids and a cache of guns at the home Mascia shared with his parents, according to investigators. Thomas Mascia's father, Thomas Mascia Sr., was an NYPD officer who was fired in 1993 after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Mascia's parents also turned themselves in on Monday.
Thomas Mascia was charged with tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting a crime and official misconduct. Thomas Mascia Sr. and Dorothy Mascia were charged with criminal possession of a firearm.
All three are expected to be walked out, in custody, from State Police headquarters. They'll be taken to court to be arraigned before a judge.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.