Albany Police Department, New York
End of Watch: Thursday, February 12, 2004
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 13 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 23, 2003
Weapon Used: Handgun; Tech-9
Suspect Info: Sentenced to Life in Prison
Lieutenant John Finn succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained 6 weeks earlier during a foot chase of a robbery suspect.
During the chase, the suspect turned around and opened fire, striking Lieutenant Finn three times. One of the rounds was stopped by his vest, one struck him in the leg, and the third entered his torso between two panels of the vest. The officer was able to return fire and struck the suspect in the chest several times, wounding him. Lieutenant Finn was transported to Albany Medical Center Hospital where he remained in critical condition until his death 6 weeks later.
The suspect was originally charged with attempted murder, but will face revised charges as a result of Lieutenant Finn's death.
The killer pleaded guilty to a 10-count indictment, including two counts of first degree murder. On August 18th, 2004, he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.
Lieutenant Finn had served with the Albany Police Department for 13 years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.