Campus Alert Archive
UAlbany

First Shots Fired in UAlbany Police History After Officer Struck by Fleeing Vehicle on Uptown Campus

NYshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

At 12:49 AM EDT on August 27, 2024, a UAlbany police officer on foot patrol attempted to stop a vehicle on Center Drive East on the Uptown Campus. The occupants, who had been banned from campus earlier that day for threatening behavior, struck the officer with their vehicle. The officer fired at the fleeing car, marking the first time a UAlbany officer discharged a firearm in the line of duty.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
University at Albany, SUNY
Public R1 · NY
~17,000 studentsNY-Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction110 chars
UAlbany Alert: Police activity on the Uptown Campus near Center Drive East. Avoid the area. Updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from multiple news sources describing the campus notification
The incident occurred at 12:49 AM EDT, and the alert was sent shortly after the officer-involved shooting
This was the first time in UAlbany Police Department history that an officer discharged a firearm in the line of duty
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction271 chars
UAlbany Police Update: An officer was struck by a vehicle on Center Drive East while attempting a traffic stop. The officer fired their weapon. Four suspects have been apprehended. The officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries. There is no ongoing threat to campus.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from the official UAlbany update and news coverage
The university confirmed four arrests were made near Albany Medical Center Hospital
Chief Paul Burlingame acknowledged the historic nature of the first-ever weapon discharge by a UPD officer
Context

Background

In the early morning hours of August 27, 2024, a University Police Department officer on foot patrol attempted to stop a vehicle on Center Drive East on UAlbany's Uptown Campus. The vehicle's occupants had been banned from campus earlier that day for exhibiting threatening and harassing behavior. During the attempted stop, the officer was struck by the vehicle as it fled. The officer then fired at the fleeing car, marking the first time in UAlbany Police Department history that an officer discharged a weapon in the line of duty. Four suspects were arrested a short time later near Albany Medical Center Hospital. The driver, 19-year-old Anthony Taylor of Albany, was charged with attempted aggravated assault on a police officer and multiple other felonies. The officer, a 12-year veteran of the force, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. In September 2024, the university released body camera footage of the incident.
Analysis

Key Findings

This was the first time in UAlbany Police Department history that an officer fired a weapon in the line of duty
The suspects had been formally banned from campus earlier the same day for threatening behavior, yet returned hours later
Despite shots being fired on campus, no one was struck by gunfire
Outcome
Four suspects were arrested near Albany Medical Center Hospital shortly after the incident. The driver, 19-year-old Anthony Taylor of Albany, was charged with attempted aggravated assault on a police officer, second-degree assault, and first-degree reckless endangerment. The officer, a 12-year veteran, was not seriously injured. No one was struck by gunfire.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Update on Overnight Incident (University at Albany)
    albany.edu
  2. News
    Four arrested after UAlbany police officer struck (WAMC)
    wamc.org
  3. Official
    UPD Releases Body Cam Footage of August 27 Incident (University at Albany)
    albany.edu
  4. News
    Significant police presence at UAlbany campus (CBS 6 Albany)
    cbs6albany.com
Tags
officer-involved-shootingnew-yorkvehicle-assaultcampus-policefirst-weapon-dischargepublic-universitysuny
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion