Cops: Trooper shot driver on Causeway in self-defense

The state trooper who shot and killed a driver on the Robert Moses Causeway Sunday acted in self-defense after the man took the trooper's police baton and used it to beat the trooper, who eventually fell unconscious, state police said in a statement yesterday.

Police identified the driver as Steven Barraco, 42, of Deer Park, and the trooper only as a 29-year-old, five-year member of the State Police.

The shooting followed a high-speed police chase that ended when Barraco crashed his car into bushes while illegally crossing a grassy median on Captree Island, Maj. Walter Heesch said in the statement.

Barraco then tried to flee from the trooper on foot, started a fight with the trooper and somehow gained control of his police baton, Heesch said.

"Barraco got on top of the Trooper and continued to strike the Trooper on the head with the baton," Heesch's statement said. "The Trooper is able to draw his Glock .45 caliber handgun and fired one round which struck Barraco in his upper body."

With the trooper lapsing into unconsciousness, Barraco attempted to flee again when two men, driving back from a fishing trip, tackled and subdued him until more police and emergency service workers could arrive, Heesch and the men said.

Barraco was pronounced dead at the scene, Heesch said. The trooper was transported by police helicopter to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries to his face and head and released, Heesch said.

The case remains under investigation, Heesch's statement read. Findings will be forwarded to the Suffolk District Attorney when the investigation is over, he said.

State police did not return numerous calls for additional information.

Bill Bruno, a Farmingdale carpenter who was one of the two men to subdue Barraco, said he and his stepfather were stuck in traffic when they witnessed the fight between Barraco and the trooper. The bloody Barraco appeared to have "a lot of adrenaline" after he was shot, Bruno said. "Everything happened so quickly," he said.

Barraco initiated the chase on the Causeway when he made an illegal U-turn over a grass median in front of the trooper, Heesch said. Barraco then made a legal U-turn, drove through a stop sign and accelerated to more than 100 miles per hour as the trooper began pursuit, Heesch said.

The trooper chased Barraco for about 3.25 miles on the Causeway before Barraco crashed and ditched his vehicle, Heesch said. Barraco, whose license was suspended at the time, had a small amount of marijuana in his car, Heesch said.

Barraco's criminal record includes an arrest for illegal possession of marijuana and a handful of motor vehicle arrests.

A woman who came to the door at Barraco's Deer Park home declined to talk to a reporter. She deflected a question about whether the family is considering retaining a lawyer.

One neighbor described Barraco as a "nice guy" who enjoyed playing with her son.

The incident, described as a "violent altercation" by state police, shut down the Causeway and initiated a major police response on Sunday afternoon. The shooting occurred just as many residents were returning from one of Long Island's most popular beaches on one of summer's last weekends.

With Deborah S. Morris