Suspect in shooting of state trooper in Colesville found guilty of attempted murder

A Broome County man accused of shooting and wounding a New York state trooper last summer in Colesville has been convicted on multiple felony counts following a jury trial in Broome County Court.

Jason D. Johnson, 35, of Nineveh, was initially charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder following the shooting, which injured Trooper Becky Seager.

The shooting triggered an intense manhunt that forced two area schools to temporarily switch to remote learning.

The jury found Johnson guilty on nine counts — including first-degree attempted murder, second-degree attempted murder, and criminal use of a firearm — after deliberating for more than two days.

"We're grateful for the outcome in this case," said Seager's boss, New York State Police Troop C commander Major Jeffrey VanAuken.

Johnson's father David, who was charged with tampering with physical evidence in connection with his son's case, was tried at the same time and was found not guilty.

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Johnson shot and wounded Seager during a confrontation in late June 2021 on East Windsor Road in the town of Colesville, state police said.

Seager suffered a gunshot wound to the hip during an exchange of fire and was treated at UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City. She was later released, but has not yet returned to duty, according to Broome County District Attorney Michael Korchak.

The incident developed shortly after 8:30 p.m. June 9 when representatives from the state police and Broome County Sheriff's Office responded to 1348 E. Windsor Road for a suspicious person complaint.

Johnson reportedly opened fire with a high-powered hunting rifle when confronted by the officers, before fleeing into the nearby woods.

Seager was struck while trying to get back into her patrol car and another trooper sustained a shrapnel injury during the exchange of gunfire with Johnson, state police said.

The second trooper was treated and released.

Johnson was later taken into custody following a massive, daylong manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Binghamton Police Department SWAT team, FBI, and state Department of Environmental Conservation, among others.

Korchak, who prosecuted the case along with Senior Assistant District Attorney Lucas W. Finley, noted this was the second trial he's been involved with in the past year involving the shooting of a state trooper.

In the other case, Scott Mawhiney, 45, of Deposit, was found guilty in November 2021 on felony counts of first-degree attempted murder and aggravated assault of a police officer, related to the wounding of state Trooper Ryan Thorp last June, when police responded to a domestic dispute in the Village of Deposit.

Johnson has been incarcerated at the Broome County Jail since his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 28 by Broome County Judge Joseph Cawley.

Johnson could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole on the first-degree attempted murder charge, and Korchak said his office will look at several factors before making a sentencing recommendation, including Johnson's attitude.

"The defendant showed no remorse, accepted no responsibility," Korchak said. "He really showed a lack of remorse for his actions on that night."

Defense attorney Michael Spano of Syracuse said he appreciates that the jury spent a lot of time and worked hard on reviewing all the evidence, but he believes their verdict was wrong.

"We thought there was reasonable doubt," Spano said. "We're already talking about an appeal. We're looking at a couple of issues, and the next step is for (Johnson) to decide, but we're all leaning toward an appeal."

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This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Broome County man convicted in shooting of New York state trooper