Malta man pleads guilty to shooting outside Saratoga Springs Police Department

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Malta man pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court on Wednesday for a shots-fired incident outside the Saratoga Springs police station in February. The Saratoga County District Attorney's Office said Paul W. Trinci, 77, of Malta, will serve up to 11 years in prison for first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal mischief.

Trinci admitted that on February 7, he fired two rounds from a long gun behind the wheel of his car near the Saratoga Springs Police Department station on Lake Avenue. One of the shots hit the police station, and the other struck a patrol car parked outside the building.

The DA's office said Trinci, a combat veteran, led police on a low-speed chase that ended in Malta. When Trinci got out of his car, officials said he made statements indicating he wanted police to end his life.

DA officials said that Trinci was taken into custody without issue and described mental health and substance use challenges. Saratoga County District Attorney Karen A. Heggen said within a matter of minutes, the Saratoga Springs Police Department went from being under fire to pursuing a suspect, and then taking the suspect into custody without anyone being harmed.

"Unfortunately, Saratoga County has seen several incidents this year concerning a combination of substance abuse and mental health challenges being suffered by our veterans that has led to incredibly dangerous incidents with law enforcement- some of them fatal," Heggen said. "Although safety of law enforcement and Defendant accountability are of the utmost importance, as members of the community we would implore veterans facing similar challenges to take advantage of the Saratoga County Veterans Service Agency located right here in Ballston Spa."

Trinci is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and will receive two and a third to seven years for the first-degree reckless endangerment charge, followed by one and one-third to four years for the second-degree criminal mischief charge. He will also pay full restitution.

Any veteran struggling with mental health or substance use challenges can get help through the Veterans Affairs Crisis Line by calling "988."