SYRACUSE -- Ithaca police officer Anthony Augustine will be released from the hospital Thursday. Augustine was shot in the chest during a chase with Jamel Booker, who was suspected of stealing a car.
Augustine suffered a mild stroke and a collapsed lung while still in the hospital in the days that followed the incident. He also has lost some of the mobility of his left arm and hand.
On Tuesday morning, there was a court hearing for the suspect in the case. Officer Barry Banfield testified that both he and Augustine were dispatched to a complaint of a stolen vehicle on the 100 block of South Plain Street. Banfield said Booker exited the vehicle and ran into a wooded area, with both officers going in different directions to track him down. Banfield testified he then heard a "pop" sound and found Augustine injured. Banfield attended to Augustine's wounds as Booker continued to flee.
