Former NYS Trooper Arrested After Shooting Self in Leg, Filing False Report

The former Trooper's parents were also arrested in connection to the incident. They were each charged with criminal possession of a firearm.

A former New York State Trooper has been arrested on multiple charges, including tampering with physical evidence and falsely reporting an incident, authorities announced on Monday.

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly stated that Thomas J. Mascia, 27, of West Hempstead, is facing a felony charge of tampering with evidence, along with misdemeanor charges of falsely reporting an incident and official misconduct. Mascia has since resigned from his position with the State Police.

In addition to Mascia’s arrest, authorities also charged his parents, Thomas Mascia Sr., 62, and Dorothy Mascia, 55, both of West Hempstead, with criminal possession of a firearm, a class E felony.

The charges stem from an incident on October 30, 2024, when Mascia reported that he had been shot in the leg while checking on a disabled vehicle in the median on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 17. He was transported to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his right leg, and his report prompted a large-scale search for a suspect vehicle.

However, following an investigation by the State Police Troop L Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, authorities determined that Mascia had shot himself before filing the false report. No evidence was found to support his claim of stopping to assist a disabled vehicle.

A search warrant executed at the Mascia family residence resulted in the seizure of a firearm that was allegedly possessed illegally, leading to the charges against his parents.

Mascia and his parents were arraigned in district court in Hempstead and subsequently released. They are scheduled to appear in court again on February 5, 2025, at 9 a.m.