Officer-involved shooting of Rochester man found justified by Dept. of Justice

Joseph Russell (Police mugshot)

CONCORD - The New Hampshire Department of Justice has completed its investigation into the officer-involved shooting that took place on March 8 in Rochester, finding that the two law enforcement officers involved were justified in using deadly force in an incident involving a Rochester resident.

Joseph Russell, 36, of Wildflower Lane, died during a skirmish with Rochester and State Police after a K9 took him to the ground in the Gooseberry Circle neighborhood.

The final investigative report, released today concluded that based on all the facts and circumstances, New Hampshire State Police Sgt. Gary Wood and Trooper Jacob Hunt were legally justified in their individual uses of deadly force against Russell as he aimed a loaded gun at police.

Rochester Police indicated that prior to the showdown, they were seeking to locate and question Russell about several car thefts that had occurred earlier in the week in Lebanon, Maine, and Rochester.

On March 8 they learned he had been spotted driving in Rochester and intercepted his vehicle on Route 16 in the area of Gooseberry Circle, where he abandoned the vehicle he was driving and fled from police on foot into the Gooseberry Circle residential area.

Rochester and New Hampshire State Police entered the neighborhood and found Russell walking between residences. When Russell spotted law enforcement, he fled again, prompting a law enforcement pursuit during which several verbal commands to surrender were issued.

When he did not comply, a State Police Trooper released their K9 partner to subdue Russell. When the K9 brought Russell to the ground, law enforcement reported seeing Russell draw a firearm, and two officers fired at Russell, who died at the scene.

Russell had previously had multiple brushes with the law in the recent past, including arrests for drug possession, armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a deadly weapon.