On September 16, 2024, in Schenectady County Court, Christopher A. Brown, [DOB 3/03/1976], a resident of the City of Schenectady, pled guilty to one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C violent felony, in violation of New York State Penal Law Section 265.03.[3]. Mr. Brown pled guilty to knowingly possessing a loaded firearm [handgun], outside of his home or place of business, in the City and County of Schenectady, New York, on April 25, 2023. The defendant will receive a sentence of ten and one-half [10.5] years in prison. In addition to the prison sentence, Mr. Brown will serve five [5] years of post-release parole supervision, the maximum period for this offense. Mr. Brown is scheduled to be sentenced in Schenectady County Court on November 18, 2024. The guilty plea resolved an indictment against Mr. Brown that charged him with Assault in the First Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, one count of Witness Tampering in the Fourth Degree, and one count of Criminal Solicitation in the Fourth Degree.
The investigation began when good Samaritans called 911 shortly before 10:00 p.m. on April 25, 2023, stating that a man was injured and claiming that he had been shot in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot located at 1200 State Street in Schenectady. Schenectady Police patrol units quickly responded to the scene and found the victim bleeding from a leg wound. While officers responded to the scene, other members of law enforcement began checking public surveillance cameras to attempt to locate any relevant footage. Members of the Schenectady Police Department and Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office observed video data that two cars, a Chevy Tahoe and a Hyundai Santa Fe, left the Dunkin Donuts parking lot at the time of the shooting. Those vehicles were tracked to one residential address in the City of Schenectady. Responding to that location, the police identified a civilian witness and, subsequently, Mr. Brown was identified as a suspect. The victim was hospitalized for several days due to a serious but non life threating gun shot wound to his hip area. Following his discharge, the witness was able to identify Mr. Brown as his assailant.
The case was primarily investigated by members of the Schenectady Non-Fatal Shooting Task Force, which was created in April, 2023. This task force is comprised of members of the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office and Schenectady Police Department. It is funded by the New York State DCJS Gun Involved Violence Elimination program [G.I.V.E.]. The task force is designed to investigate non-fatal shootings with the same level of resources as a homicide investigation to ensure successful arrest and prosecution of individuals engaged in gun violence within Schenectady County. The task force did that successfully in this case, conducting multiple interviews, collecting all available camera footage from all public and private sources and analyzing all phone records and forensic evidence from the seized Chevy Tahoe. In addition Schenectady Detective Eric Owens conducted an effective interview of Mr. Brown in which Brown admitted that he was the driver and sole occupant of the Chevy Tahoe, that he had an altercation with the victim in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot, and that the altercation was related to a dispute over car repairs to his friend’s Hyundai Sante Fe that the victim had allegedly been paid to do but had not completed. Mr. Brown denied at that time that he possessed a gun or shot the victim.
District Attorney Robert M. Carney stated, “Dedicating resources to investigate non-fatal shootings is a wise investment by the State to curb gun violence. They can be time consuming investigations and are often made more difficult because of the reluctance of some victims and witnesses to cooperate. That was not the case here, but a diligent commitment of time and effort was still required. The detectives and prosecutors here made that commitment and delivered a message of deterrence that if you shoot someone you are likely to face at least a decade in prison.”
The People were represented by Special Victim Bureau Chief John J. Carson. Mr. Brown was represented by assigned counsel Kyle Davis. Acting Schenectady County Court Judge Mark J. Caruso presided.