Lieutenant John F. Finn

John F. Finn

Lieutenant John Finn succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained 6 weeks earlier during a foot chase of a robbery suspect.

During the chase at 11:15 p.m., 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 faced 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 received two life-saving awards and was named the Albany Police Officer of the Year in 2002. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

The John F. Finn Institute for Public Safety was named in his honor.