DA: Hudson Valley Man Tried To Kill Officer With AR-15 Rifle Near School
An Ulster County man is accused of trying to murder a cop outside of a Hudson Valley school on a school day.
An Ulster County Grand Jury issued an indictment of 52-year-old Clayton Shafer of Esopus for the attempted murder of a police officer, a class A-1 felony, and several other charges.
On Feb. 9, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office received emergency calls from acquaintances to check on Shafer’s welfare in his RV located on his business premises a short distance from Robert Graves school on Mountain View Avenue in Esopus.
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When the deputy sheriff turned into the driveway, Shafer confronted him with a loaded AR-15, pointed the weapon directly at the deputy and attempted to shoot, police say.
A brief standoff ensued, during which around from Shafer's rifle was discharged in a different direction from the deputy, officials say.
“As a result of the extraordinary courage, skill, and evasive training of the responding deputy, no lives were lost and passing motorists were protected," Ulster County District Attorney David Clegg stated.
The road was closed down to traffic while law enforcement dealt with the 52-year-old until he was eventually taken into custody without any injuries to anyone.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at the incident location and allegedly found eighteen rifles and shotguns, including the AR-15 alleged to have been used in the incident. At this time, these firearms appear to have been legally possessed, police say
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