Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces further information regarding the officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday evening in Rochester, New Hampshire.

On March 7, 2024, Rochester Police officers were looking for Joseph Russell, age 36, in connection with multiple motor vehicle thefts.

On March 8, 2024, Rochester Police were notified that Russell was spotted driving in Rochester and intercepted him on Route 16 in the area of Gooseberry Circle. Police also learned that Russell had a firearm. Russell abandoned the vehicle he was driving and fled from police on foot into the Gooseberry Circle residential area.

Rochester Police and New Hampshire State Police entered the residential area and spotted Russell walking in between residences. When Russell spotted law enforcement, he fled again. Law enforcement pursued Russell, issuing several verbal commands to stop and surrender. When he did not comply, a State Police Trooper with a K-9 police dog released their K-9 partner to subdue Russell. When the K-9 brought Russell to the ground, law enforcement reported seeing Russell draw a firearm and two troopers fired bullets at Russell, who died at the scene.

No other private citizens and no law enforcement officers were physically injured during the incident, and there is no threat to the public. The investigation by the New Hampshire Department of Justice and the New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit into the officer-involved shooting is ongoing. An autopsy for Russell is scheduled for March 9, 2024. Pursuant to protocol, the identity of the two troopers who fired at Russell will not be disclosed until formal interviews have occurred.

The exact circumstances surrounding this incident remain under active investigation.