Rensselaer

Two police officers are suspended over claims they chased down and ran over a woodchuck on a Troy golf course, and Chief Rick Fusco said he will move to fire them both if an investigation finds them guilty.

Tyler Sammon, a 3-year member of the force, is accused of chasing down the woodchuck and then running it over in a golf cart. Matt Spath was a passenger in the vehicle.

The animal was killed Friday during a Rensselaer police union event at the Frear Park golf course.

Witnesses said two people in a golf cart chased down a woodchuck until it couldn't run any more and then ran over the animal with their golf cart, Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello had said in an earlier news release on the incident.

The same individuals ran over tee boxes with their cart and drove through the ropes on golf holes, she said.

It is not illegal to kill a woodchuck but Troy city law bans killing animals in the park.

Fusco confirmed the identities of the accused officers Thursday and said they were suspended with pay during an internal investigation. State law requires them to be paid during an investigation, he said.

"If in fact this alleged situation happened, I will be recommending they be terminated," he said. "There is no room in any police agency for a person like this to be carrying a badge and a gun."

Even if Spath was a only a passenger, Fusco said, he had a responsibility to stop the actions.

"The other officer has an obligation to come forward if something intentionally was done like that," he said.

Fusco said he is very upset about the allegations.

"It's awful. It's humiliating," he said. "I've been through a lot in this department and this is the most humiliating."

tobrien@timesunion.com • 518-454-5092 • @timobrientu