A former Russian army officer was convicted in Clinton County court yesterday of attempting to murder a State trooper.
Vladimir Kulakov was found guilty in the jury trial of 1st degree Attempted Murder, 1st degree Assault, 2nd and 3rd degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, 3rd degree Grand Larceny, and 3rd and 4th degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property.
The 49-year-old former Russian Army arms specialist had shot and wounded State trooper Sean Finn last fall in a wooded area in the town of Plattsburgh, N.Y., after Finn and another trooper attempted to pull him over in a stolen vehicle. Kulakov then fled into the woods, prompting a high-profile search by authorities from several jurisdictions. Kulakov was arrested the following day in a wooded area in Pottersville.
Kulakov showed no reaction as the verdict was being read. He took the stand in his own defense during the trial, claiming he believed he was being kidnapped by the officers when he fired on Finn. The trooper was shot in his head, hand and arm. He has since recovered from the wounds to his arm and head and has returned to duty, although he still has some range of motion issues due to the hand injuries.According to his way of acting, Kulakov surely "served" in Chechnya.
Kulakov is currently serving time at the maximum-security Great Meadows Correctional Facility due to an escape attempt in January of this year while on his way to a court appearance. Kulakov briefly escaped from custody when he jumped from a Clinton County Sheriff's Department vehicle. He later pleaded guilty to escape charges.
Kulakov faces 30 years to life when he is sentenced, the News Watch reported.
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