Police Arrest Capital Region Man Accused of Smashing Fire Truck

 Cohoes Police Arrest Man Who Vandalized Fire Truck

Great work by the Cohoes Police to apprehend a man that they say had been vandalizing multiple properties owned and used by the Cohoes Fire Department over the last few weeks.

According to the Cohoes Police Department, at around 6:10 p.m. last Thursday, officers responded to the Cohoes Fire Department’s Central Avenue Station for a report of "criminal mischief to a fire truck."

According to the Cohoes Police, Michael Cooper, 33, of Cohoes, was charged with criminal mischief to the 3rd degree.

Additional criminal mischief charges are pending due to Cooper’s involvement in five separate incidents over the past two weeks, including a broken window at the same fire station and damage to a vehicle, residence, and businesses.

***ORIGINAL STORY***

Local Fire Department the Target of Vandalism

A fire department in the Capital Region was the victim of some aggressive vandalism when someone smashed the windshield of their fire truck, rendering their front-line apparatus "out of service" for the time being.

According to a Facebook post from Sidewinder Photography, the recent act was the second aggressive incident reported by the Cohies Fire Department in a week. The first one was on July 3rd, after an unknown person threw a brick through one of the station's front windows.

"These acts of vandalism are both disheartening and concerning," stated a spokesperson for the Uniform Firefighters of Cohoes, IAFF Local 2562. "It is troubling that someone would feel it is acceptable to damage vital emergency equipment."

Cohoes Fire Truck Out of Service

The second incident happened on Wednesday night, and according to Sidewinder, it could have a more severe impact on the station "and the department's operations."

On Wednesday night, a vandal used a rock to smash the windshield of the station's tower truck, which, according to Sidewinder, was parked inside the garage.

As a result, the truck is now out of service, limiting Cohoes Fire's ability to respond to emergencies on time.