All Over Albany

APD says detective's shooting of man was justified, conviction in retrial of 1986 fatal Troy fire, the state of the craft beer boom

Review of case involving man shot by Albany police
+ The Albany Police Department released the results of its internal investigation into the police shooting of Ellazar Williams behind the Tony Clement Center for Education in West Hill August 20. APD commander Michael Basile -- who was acting chief at the time -- walked through a presentation with surveillance cam stills and video, a 911 call following an incident near a shop on Central Ave in which the caller said they thought a man had a gun, and police radio calls. Basile said video indicated that Williams had been carrying a large knife and he still had the knife when detective James Olsen chased Williams behind the school building into a fenced-in area. Basile said Williams tripped, dropped the knife, then "rearmed himself and became an imminent danger" towards the detective. That's when Basile said Olsen feared for his safety and the detective fired two shots, hitting Williams once in a spot Basile described as the left rear shoulder. The incident appears in the background of a video and it doesn't show the detective's exact position at the time of the shooting. The detective wasn't outfitted with a body camera, nor did he have a taser. [TU] [CBS6] [Spectrum]

+ "Through our investigation it's been determined that detective Olsen's were consistent with his training and the policies of the Albany police department," Basile told the media. "We've concluded that his actions were justified at this point."

+ New Albany police chief Eric Hawkins, who will be sworn in Friday: "We always try to resolve these types of incidents as peacefully as possible. In this case, the use of force, per our internal investigation, was necessary. But it doesn't take away from the fact that it was a very traumatic experience for everybody involved and we're sensitive to that."

+ Alice Green, the executive director of the Center for Law and Justice, was briefed by the APD about the investigation. After the media presentation Thursday, she spoke with reporters outside police headquarters and said she hasn't come to a conclusion for herself about the shooting. "I'm not being critical of their report. I'm sure they did everything they could with the information that they had," Green said, noting that police didn't have access to Williams or his medical report. (His attorney recommended he not speak with police because he's facing charges.) She said one of the key questions for the community is how Williams ended up being shot in a spot that she described more as his back than his shoulder.

Saratoga Springs police and the death of Darryl Mount Jr.
The girlfriend of Darryl Mount Jr. -- the man who died from injuries sustained during a chase with Saratoga Springs police in 2013 -- says she's upset about SSPD chief Gregory Veitch's comments that the department didn't pursue an internal investigation about the incident in order to protect her privacy because she says she was not a victim and she accuses the police chief of lying. [TU]

Conviction again in 1986 fatal Troy fire
On Thursday the man previously convicted for the Troy fire that killed two girls three decades ago was again found guilty of second-degree murder and arson charges during during a retrial. And he was sentenced again to 25 years to life, with a credit for the 31 years he's already served. [TU] [WNYT]

Review of Catholic church abuse cases
+ This week state Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced her office is investigating sexual abuse of children within the New York dioceses of the Catholic Church and set up a hotline for victims or anyone with info. [NYS OAG]
+ On Thursday Albany Roman Catholic Diocese bishop Edward Scharfenberger has asked the Albany County District Attorney's office review the diocese's handling of sexual abuse cases. In a statement Soares said the request is "a step in the right direction." [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Attorney disbarred over DWI
A Voorheesville attorney was disbarred after pleading guilty to driving drunk with a child in the vehicle -- police had been tipped off by employees of the McDonald's on Western Ave in Guilderland. [TU]

New Rensselaer County/Troy City Hall building?
Rensselaer County exec Steve McLaughlin says he'd like to see the current Rensselaer County government offices in Troy demolished to make way for private development and a new county facility somewhere along the river in the city -- a facility that possibly could be shared with Troy city government. [Biz Review]

Albany South End drugstore closure
More than 30 local officials and elected leaders have signed a letter urging Walgreens to keep the Rite Aid open in the South End. [TU]

Back to school
+ A look inside the Albany International Center, which helps students in grades 6-12 who are learning English. [TU]
+ State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia visited Hamilton Elementary in Schenectady Thursday and called the city's school district a state leader in providing support for children dealing with poverty and trauma. [Daily Gazette]

Sage Colleges
Sage has increased its first-year and transfer enrollment from 360 students last year to 572 this year as part of an effort to get the colleges on better financial footing. [Biz Review]

Beer
Checking in on New York State's craft beer boom. [TU]

Survivor contestant
A Watervliet man will be competing on Survivor during the season that airs this fall. [TU]

Stuff to do this weekend

Don't miss the big list of things to do this weekend around the Capital Region.