Officer struck by a fleeing car fires weapon; four arrested

Dear UAlbany Community, I’m writing to update you that Center Drive East has re-opened and to provide more information about the incident that occurred overnight. Shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday, a University Police Department officer on foot attempted to stop a vehicle on Center Drive East on the Uptown Campus. During that encounter, the vehicle fled, the officer was struck, and the officer fired their weapon. The incident resulted in the vehicle being pursued by police officers into Albany. That pursuit ended in the area of Albany Medical Center Hospital, where the occupants fled the vehicle on foot and were taken into custody soon after. No one was struck by gunfire or otherwise seriously injured during the incident, and there is no ongoing danger to the campus. The occupants of the car – four men in their late teens and early 20s who were not UAlbany students – had been banned from campus earlier in the night. The officer approached them after spotting them on campus again. UPD’s investigation is ongoing with the assistance of the New York State Police, and the department will provide additional details as soon as it is able. No additional information is available at this time, and charges against the vehicle's occupants are pending. In addition to the State Police, we would like to thank our partners in the Albany Police Department, Guilderland Police Department and Albany County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance during this incident. Again, I want to reiterate that at no point was there a danger to the wider campus community and thank you for your patience and cooperation as we complete our investigation. Sincerely, Paul C. Burlingame Chief of Police