UTICA -- Utica police are investigating the circumstances around the break-in at a South Utica home where an off duty state trooper was involved.
Police say it happened midnight Friday going into Saturday. According to Utica police, several officers responded to a home on Beverly Place for a possible burglary in progress. When officers arrived, they found two injured men.
Officers say they learned that one of the men was the home owner, who defended himself, and the other was an off-duty New York State Trooper.
We called the Utica Police on Monday morning. An overnight sergeant confirmed reports that the trooper's name is Jesse Miller, 31.
A spokesperson for the New York State police says Miller has been suspended pending an internal investigation.
A report from the Utica Observer-Dispatch claims Miller was drunk when he kicked in a door to the home.
Police say both men were treated at local hospitals for various injuries. They are expected to survive.
So far, no charges have been filed. Police say they are still conducting interviews.
"For the police, it's not a sprint. It's more of a marathon," says Sgt. Steve Hauck, from the Utica Police Department. "The most important part for us is to get all the details that we can, and when we do charge someone, if we charge someone, it's the appropriate charges."
People who live on Beverly Place say they were shocked by what happened because the neighborhood is usually peaceful. Police say they believe this was an isolated incident.
