Police say the 50-year-old man ‘aggressively’ exited a vehicle and charged at the officers after crashing into a car and church

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A man in north-west New York state died on Sunday after being shot with a stun gun by police who said he rushed at officers with a clenched fist during a confrontation, Rochester police said.

Police responded on Sunday morning to reports that a man driving a red pickup truck had crashed into a car and then a church and then fled on foot, police chief Michael Ciminelli told a news conference.

With police at the scene, the man returned and climbed into his truck, defying police orders. He then backed up, crashing into a street sign and a fence, and then drove the truck into a house.

Ciminelli told reporters the man “aggressively exited the vehicle, charging in the direction of officers” with a clenched fist, and refused to obey their verbal commands.

“An officer on scene decided to use a less than lethal option and he used his Taser to stop the suspect,” Ciminelli said.

The man was briefly handcuffed afterward, but released so firefighters could provide medical attention. The man was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper, citing family members, identified the man as Richard Gregory Davis, a 50-year-old black man, who was a father of six and a former marine.