Photo: NY State Police
There’s more information coming out, about the death of a state trooper who was responding to a domestic disturbance call in a town near the Thousand Islands.
State Police Superintendent George Beach says Trooper Joel Davis was shot once on Sunday night as he walked up the driveway of a Jefferson County residence.
Beach says Davis was shot dead by Justin Walters, and then other troopers arrived at the scene.
“The trooper exited his vehicle, drawing his service revolver at Walkers. The trooper then sees Trooper Davis lying in a ditch on the side of the roadway.”
Beach says Trooper Davis initially responded to reports of shots fired inside a home.
“Trooper Davis exited his vehicle, and walked toward the driveway when he was shot once.”
Beach says Davis was a true professional and family man.
“This trooper was not only an experienced law enforcement officer, but he was extremely active in this community. He was a good husband, and a father. He also was a Commissioner for the Evans Mills Youth Baseball League.”
Davis was tended to by other troopers, but was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Also dead is Walters' wife, 27 year old Nicole Walters.
A third person shot, a friend of Nicole Walters, is recovering from non- life threatening injuries.
Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett says just about anything can happen in situations like this, and often does.
“Every time you go to a domestic, it’s not the same thing. I went to one where there was a domestic between a father and a son, and he pulled a shotgun out on me, and I had to act on that. Thank goodness it worked out well on both ends.”
Watervliet Police chief Mark Spain says his officers are trained to take stock of the house, and the people inside.
“Tactically is really the best way to train, know where the doors are, know where the people are inside that residence, know where the rooms empty into, and empty out of.”
Spain says training is the key, but says domestic situations are volatile, and potentially deadly.