Man fatally shot by trooper at Whip-O-Will Campground identified

PURLING―The man fatally shot after brandishing a gun at State Police on Monday night at Whip-O-Will Campground has been identified.

Amir Hamza, 45, whose last known address was in Philmont, pointed what appeared to be a handgun at troopers who were responding to an assault at the County Route 31 campground. State Police confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the weapon was determined to be a black pistol-style BB gun.

It was around 8:22 p.m. that troopers assigned to the South Cairo barracks responded to the campground for an open-line 911 call in which dispatchers could hear what sounded like a domestic incident in the background.

Upon arrival, troopers found a male victim with a head injury sustained during a physical altercation.

The man reportedly told troopers that he had been assaulted and pointed them to a nearby camper where Hamza was inside.

“Troopers proceeded to the camper, knocked on the door and announced, ‘State Police.’ As troopers were positioned outside the camper, Hamza exited and advanced toward a trooper while extending his right arm and pointing a black pistol-style gun directly at him,” State Police said in a statement.

“The trooper moved out of Hamza’s line of approach, drew his division-issued firearm and discharged his weapon, striking Hamza,” according to State Police.

Police immediately began administering first aid to Hamza, troopers said. CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) were utilized until emergency medical personnel arrived, but Hamza was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a social media statement posted Tuesday, Whip-O-Will Campground said they are “saddened by the tragic events involving a transient camper on September 14.”

“We are grateful that all of our seasonal Whip-O-Will family is safe and thank law enforcement for their quick response. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that lost a loved one,” Whip-O-Will stated.

The shooting is under investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s Office and New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police at 845-344-5300.

The names of the involved New York State troopers are not being released at this time.

The man who suffered a head injury was transported to Albany Medical Center and reported to be in stable condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

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This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.