An off-duty Rutland County Sheriff’s Department deputy, wounded last fall in a shootout with police in Saratoga, New York, has been indicted in that state on several charges, including attempted murder.
Vito Caselnova, 25, of Glens Falls, New York, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when he was arraigned Tuesday in Saratoga County Court, according to the Times Union of Albany, New York.
The newspaper reported Caselnova faces an eight-count indictment charging him with attempted murder, assault, menacing and reckless endangerment in the shooting that took place Nov. 20.
Caselnova’s attorney has maintained that his client acted in self-defense, the Times Union reported.
The indictment alleges that Caselnova shot a Utica, New York, man before pointing a gun at Saratoga Springs police, who wounded him, according to the newspaper. Police said he had refused officers’ orders to drop his weapon.
The incident began when police heard shots fired in Saratoga’s downtown district and responded to the scene. Police said they found two groups of people who had been engaged in a bar argument that spilled out onto the street before shots were fired.
Police said officers ordered everyone to drop their weapons. One man, later identified as Caselnova, repeatedly refused to comply before officers opened fire, according to police.
“The Grand Jury investigation and decisions were neither rushed nor reached lightly, as it took a considerable amount of time to identify, compile and review testimony, evidence and information surrounding the events of November 20, 2022,” Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen stated in a press release Tuesday.
“The Grand Jury’s ultimate decision is reflected in the charges that were voted,” Heggen added.
Caselnova was placed on unpaid leave by the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department following the shootout in November and his status has remained the same since that time, according to Rutland County Sheriff David Fox.
Fox declined to comment on the charges Caselnova faces in New York.