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

CONCORD, N.H. — Two New Hampshire State Police officers who fatally shot a man as he pointed 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 officers with the Rochester Police Department, the report said.

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 ran. The officers also discovered that Russell had a firearm, the report said.

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

Officers reported seeing Russell pull out a gun and point it in the direction of State Police Sergeant Gary Wood, Trooper Jacob Hunt and another officer. Wood and Hunt shot Russell, who died at the scene, the report said.