State police officers who fatally shot man were legally justified to use deadly force, report says

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Two New Hampshire State Police officers who fatally shot a man as he aimed a loaded gun in their direction were legally justified in their use of deadly force, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office said in a report Thursday.

No criminal charges will be filed against either officer, Attorney General John Formella said in the report.

The officers shot and killed Joseph Russell, 36, on March 8 during a foot chase that began while they were assisting Rochester Police Department officers, the report said.

Rochester police were searching for Russell in connection with multiple vehicle thefts and saw him driving in the city about 21 miles (33.8 kilometers) northwest of Portsmouth.

Police intercepted Russell on Route 16, where he abandoned his vehicle and ran away. The officers also learned Russell was carrying a firearm, the report said.

The Rochester officers and state troopers spotted Russell in a residential area and began pursuing him and ordering him to stop. A trooper released a police dog, which brought Russell to the ground, the report said.

Officers reported they saw Russell draw a gun and aim it in the direction of State Police Sergeant Gary Wood, Trooper Jacob Hunt and another officer. Wood and Hunt fired at Russell, who died at the scene, the report said.