New York State Trooper in Serious Condition After Responding to 911 Call

Investigating a domestic abuse situation can be dangerous for the responding cop. According to Associated Press, a New York state trooper, Amanda Reif, 29, was shot in the shoulder. She was responding to a 911 call around quarter of five Monday afternoon at a house along Route 56 between Potsdam and Massena. Steven McCumber, 45, had an extremely long criminal record. He fired at least once with either a rifle or a shotgun. Trooper Reif returned fire on the suspect, who was declared dead at the scene.

Acting State Police Superintendent Preston Felton stated that the suspect, Steven McCumber, went into the house then returned outside where he was met by state and local police officers. The officers requested he get down on the ground. Initially, McCumber complied, but then he rose from the ground, and charged the officers.

Upon being fired at by the suspect, Trooper Reif returned fire, killing the suspect. Two rounds were found in the officer's shoulder, but it is unclear whether they were from two separate shots or if it is one shot that fragmented.

As of Monday night, Trooper Reif was listed in serious condition at the Fletcher Allen Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont according to hospital spokesperson Mike Noble. Her husband, parents and other family members are waiting at the hospital for her to recover. Trooper Reif has a seven month old baby boy, Felton states.

This shooting comes only weeks after the burial of the third trooper to be shot to death in just over a year's time. The string of deaths was started in March of 2006, when Trooper Andrew Sperr was shot to death while pulling over a truck driven by a bank robber.

Three months later, Trooper Sean Brown was shot during a routine traffic stop. Luckily, Trooper Brown survived. This shooting started the state's largest manhunt for fugitive Ralph "Bucky" Philips. In August, "Bucky" again shot two state troopers, Donald Baker and Joseph Longobardo; Longobardo died three days after the shooting, while Baker survived. Fortunately, Ralph Philips was captured.