Off Duty Cop Is Attacked By A Group And Pulls Gun, Ends Up Getting Shot By Other Cops Arriving At Scene

A Vermont sheriff's deputy is in stable condition after a violent night in downtown Saratoga Springs.

Police say the off-duty Vermont deputy was attacked by a group of about six people around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday at the intersection of Caroline Street and Broadway in Saratoga Springs. After the deputy displayed a gun, one of the men in the group fired, with the deputy firing back. Police say seven to eight shots were in the exchange. The man, who was with a group of people from Utica, NY, was injured and currently in stable condition.

Saratoga Springs police officers on duty heard the shots and arrived at the scene. Police say the Vermont deputy did not comply when asked to drop the weapon several times, Saratoga Police then shooting him multiple times.

"As they make that turn what they see is the Vermont Sheriff's deputy standing on the sidewalk," Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino says. "His gun leveled and moving from side to side, pointing the gun. You hear the officers repeatedly, loudly, direct the deputy to drop the gun, get on the ground, again and again."

Police say he had 10 bullet wounds. It's the first time in 26 years a Saratoga Springs Police Officer discharged a weapon in the line of duty. The deputy from Vermont is currently in stable condition. Saratoga police say the deputy's girlfriend was grazed by the gunfire and is also in stable condition at this time.

The City of Saratoga Springs shared body-cam footage, here you can see up to the point of the officer-involved shooting. Viewer discretion advised.

The Saratoga Springs police department has faced scrutiny in the past, and currently is under investigation by New York State Attorney General Letitia James for their arrests during Black Lives Matter protests. In an effort to promote transparency around this shooting, the city released the footage above and below within 12 hours of the altercation.

"We are united in getting that information out to the public" Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim says. "There's no distance between us, because our feeling is that transparency is the most important thing. Now there is a criminal investigation, and we'll trust the DA's office to conduct that. But we believe this information is so vital to get out to people because our community requires that we be as transparent as possible."