ROCHESTER, N.H. — Police in New Hampshire shot and killed a man during a foot chase on Friday evening after he was brought down by a police dog and a gun pulled out, the attorney general said.
New Hampshire State Police troopers killed 36-year-old Joseph Russell during the chase that began while they were assisting officers from the Rochester Police Department, Attorney General John Formella said in a statement.
Rochester police were looking for Russell in connection with multiple car thefts and spotted him driving in the city about 20 miles (33.8 kilometers) northwest of Portsmouth.
Police intercepted Russell on Route 16, where he abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot. The officers also discovered that Russell had a firearm, Formella said.
The Rochester officers and state troopers spotted Russell in a residential area and began chasing him and ordering him to stop. A trooper released a police dog, which took Russell to the ground.
Officers reported seeing Russell pull out a gun and two soldiers shot him. Russell died at the scene, Formella said.
The identities of the troopers involved in the shooting were not immediately released. None of the officers or other people in the area were injured.
The New Hampshire Department of Justice and the New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit are investigating the shooting, the attorney general said.
An autopsy on Russell was scheduled for Saturday, Formella said.