On the night of August 22, 2015, Troy Police Department received a call for an attempted armed carjacking. Upon arrival at the scene, a male matching the description of the suspect was observed. Once backup was close, a street stop was attempted which turned into a foot pursuit. At the end of the foot pursuit, the backup officer was ambushed. A gunfight ensued between Officer Joshua Comitale and the suspect, during which both were shot. Officer Comitale applied a tourniquet to his right leg, stood up and ended the threat.

Joshua Comitale is a third generation police officer and 10-year veteran of the City of Troy Police Department. currently assigned to the detective bureau. He has been a member of the SWAT team and sniper since 2012 and a firearms and chemical agents instructor since 2014. He is a departmental Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient. He has also received the United States Congressional Badge of Bravery, NYS Association of Chiefs of Police Medal of Honor and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Police Officer of the year.