Just another day in N.Y., the devil's playground, thanks to the moron A.G. and D.A. who feel that criminals should just run rampant and cops shouldn't complain about being beaten or shot...
ALBANY, (April 17, 2024) — An Albany police officer is recovering and a suspect died early Wednesday morning in Albany. Police Chief Eric Hawkins says the officer was “ambushed” after a short chase and traffic stop.
According to Albany Police, at around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the area of North Main Avenue and Western Avenue the shootout occurred following a traffic stop.
In a press conference, Chief Hawkins said the officer tried pulling the car over after it sped by at a high rate of speed. The driver refused to stop and a chase ensued.
A short time later, the officer found the car parked on the road, at the time it was unknown if the car was occupied. Chief Hawkins says unbeknownst to the officer, the suspect was out of the car.
Hawkins said the suspect started firing at the officer, describing the act as “an ambush.” The two then exchanged gunfire. The officer is still being treated for injuries and the suspect has died.
Neither the identity of the officer nor the suspect has been released. Chief Hawkins said the officer was hit in the upper leg and was conscious and alert. He has been on the force for around two to three years. The suspect is described as a resident of Albany in their mid to late 20s with a “troubled” past.
“Albany has had very little contact with this person but we do know this person has had contact with other jurisdictions. Potential criminal, criminal-based contacts,” explained Hawkins.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan spoke to the officer and his family. He underwent surgery. She described the ambush as “an act of depraved gun violence”.
“His attitude was, this is what I signed up to do. Really remarkable, amazing, and admirable.”
Chief Hawkins said that as of Wednesday afternoon, it seems his officer followed proper protocol. The investigation is ongoing and officials are waiting on the suspect’s autopsy to learn more about the official cause of death.
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UPDATE: (April 18, 2024) Amiel Layeni, the suspect, was 28 years old. The officer involved has been identified as Jonathan Damphier.
The autopsy report showed the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a grazed wound to the leg. That grazed wound was sustained from Officer Damphier firing back.
Law enforcement says the 28-year-old was on probation for a reckless driving incident from December 2022 in Albany County.
"Throughout the investigation Wednesday, police discovered multiple firearms in Layeni’s car and home; they located two illegally possessed 9-millimeter handguns from the scene. Also, during a search warrant at Layeni's home, they recovered a 9-millimeter ghost gun," said Chief Hawkins.
Layeni had previous contact with police in Troy and Colonie.
City officials say Layeni had a history of mental health challenges; Mayor Sheehan reiterated the ongoing mental health crisis plaguing communities.
City leaders say Layeni shot himself just seconds after firing at the officer; body-camera video shared Wednesday cuts off just after Layeni fires at Damphier.
Chief Hawkins says the full body camera footage was not shown out of respect for the officer.
This is just preliminary footage released by Albany PD
