Saratoga Springs Mayor Kim blasts DA Heggen’s handling of downtown shootout case

Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim blasted prosecutors after a judge dismissed attempted murder charges against the man involved in a downtown shootout last November.

Saratoga County Court Judge Jim Murphy threw out the indictment against Vito Caselnova, of Glens Falls, the off-duty Rutland County Sheriff’s deputy who exchanged gunfire with a man from Utica last November before being shot by police.

Kim said he is disappointed in Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen’s handling of this case.

“Instead of focusing on the apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators, the DA focused her attention on trying to block me from speaking to Saratogians and visitors about this dangerous situation,” he said in a news release.

Heggen and Kim have feuded over the release of information in the case.

Heggen sought a gag order to prevent city officials from discussing the case. The day after the incident occurred, Kim and Public Safety Commissioner James Montagnino showed body camera footage of the incident.

In December, Kim held a press conference blasting her for seeking gag orders and not making any arrests in the case at that point. Kim mentioned that in his statement Wednesday.

“Obviously, her erratic and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to gag me, which was roundly rejected by a Judge, kept her from competently performing her core duty—prosecuting Vito Caselnova. I hope she takes the just criticism of the Judge seriously, stops misstating facts, and focuses on bringing the individuals who were involved in this shooting to justice,” Kim went on to say.