On a late Sunday evening in June of 1987, New York State Trooper Robert G. Dunning, a 45-year-old male, responded to a call that would end his 20-year career and his life. At approximately 9:50 p.m. on June 14th, Trooper Dunning and his partner, Sergeant Robert Garzetta, arrived at a residence on Davis Road in Pleasant Valley following a report of a man threatening his neighbor with a rifle.
Upon their arrival, the two officers began to engage the armed man in conversation.
Without any warning or apparent provocation, the man suddenly lifted his AR-15 rifle and opened fire on the troopers. Trooper Dunning was struck in the heart and mortally wounded. Sergeant Garzetta was also hit, sustaining a wound to his leg. Despite his injuries, Sergeant Garzetta managed to return fire, striking the suspect three times.
Following the exchange of gunfire, the suspect turned his weapon on himself, ending his own life at the scene. Trooper Dunning was survived by his wife, three children, and three stepchildren. Two of his brothers also served with the New York State Police. As the perpetrator committed suicide at the scene of the incident, there were no subsequent arrests or trials in connection with Trooper Dunning's death.
