Off-duty cop shoots gun at driver during armed road-rage argument

Off-duty cop shoots gun at driver during armed road-rage argument
Source: Daily Mail Online

An off-duty New York police officer shot a man during a road-rage argument earlier this week as a witness recorded the violent exchange.

On December 11 around 3.45pm, troopers with the New York State Police responded to a shooting in Wawayanda, a town about 70 miles northwest of downtown New York City.

Wallace Fisher, 31, had just been shot in the neck and shoulder by 33-year-old Anthony Simon, an off-duty Kingston Police Officer, according to a statement from the New York State Police.

The two men had been engaged in a road-rage incident that stretched for approximately one mile, the statement said.

Things escalated when Fisher stopped his Volkswagen in front of Simon and approached the off-duty officer's Toyota pickup truck.

As he did so, a witness in the car behind the two was recording. In the video, Fisher can be seen walking towards the pickup truck and gesturing with his arms.

He can be heard yelling at Simon for about 30 seconds, although the words he said are inaudible. Fisher then throws a punch into the open driver's side window, and the officer immediately fires his gun three times.

Fisher collapses to the ground almost instantly, and Simon gets out of his car, still pointing his gun at the downed man.

The statement from state police said that Fisher was brandishing a knife, but it is difficult to make one out in the video.

The shooting victim was taken to Garnet Health Medical Center before being transferred to Westchester Medical Center. He is in critical but stable condition.

The Kingston Police Department released a statement that said Simon has been employed at the department since 2022.

It also said that he has been placed on administrative duty until a criminal investigation conducted by the New York State Police and the Orange County District Attorney's Office has been concluded.

Rob Parker, the witness who took the video, described the leadup to the shooting to ABC7 New York: 'The person that got cut off from the cop was tailgating him after that. The cop was break checking him.
'Then, [Fisher] tried to pass him, and the cop went on the other side of the road and tried to run him off the road.'
Another witness, David Perez, told the outlet: 'I screamed, literally screamed. It was one of those moments you don't even understand.'

So far, no charges have been filed against either Fisher or Simon as the investigation continues.

Fisher was taken to Garnet Health Medical Center before being transferred to Westchester Medical Center. He is in critical but stable condition

The two men had been engaged in a road-rage incident that stretched for approximately one mile, and things escalated when Fisher stopped his Volkswagen and approached Simon

No charges have been filed against either Fisher or Simon as the investigation by New York State Police and the Orange County District Attorney's Office continues

The Daily Mail reached out to the Kingston Police Department for comment and updates on the investigation but did not immediately receive a response.

The man who took the video said he believes both the shooter and victim share responsibility.

'When he got out the car, he could have left, he could have pulled off. The same way I watched him swerve lane to lane and him get out the way, or him avoid [Fisher] from passing him,' Parker said.
'I feel like the whole thing could have been avoided. On both parties, I feel like they were wrong.'