A man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Route 9G in Rhinebeck on Thursday afternoon after a sheriff's deputy stopped his vehicle to check on his welfare. The man used a shotgun to take his own life as law enforcement tried to talk with him, according to authorities. The road closure and ongoing state investigation have left the Dutchess County community grappling with a tragedy that unfolded in broad daylight along a well-traveled stretch of highway.
According to dailyvoice.com, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office received a report at 11:45 a.m. Thursday of an armed person experiencing a suicidal crisis who was traveling in northern Dutchess County. The incident itself happened around 12:40 p.m. on Route 9G just south of Route 9 in Rhinebeck, the outlet reported, as authorities raced to locate the vehicle before the situation escalated further.
A sheriff's deputy found the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop near Warren Cutlery on Route 9G, just south of Route 9, per Mid Hudson News. Members of law enforcement were attempting to establish a dialogue with the man and check on his welfare when he used a shotgun to take his own life, the outlet reported, citing authorities. As first reported by Newport Dispatch, the man died at the scene from the self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Road Closed for Hours as Investigators Respond
The subsequent investigation shut down Route 9G between Routes 308 and 9 for several hours, the station's report noted, snarling travel through the area while crews and investigators worked the scene. The man's identity has not been released because of the circumstances surrounding his death and the ongoing investigation, authorities said.
Dutchess County Sheriff's Office Captain John Watterson said the initial investigation found no evidence that any members of law enforcement used any type of force that contributed to the man's death, per the same account. Watterson's statement represents the sheriff's office's early assessment of the encounter rather than a final determination.
State Attorney General Leading Investigation
Because police were involved in the incident, the New York State Attorney General's Office was contacted as required by law and is now leading the investigation. The office is being assisted by the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner, the same report indicates.
The Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation investigates every death in New York State that may have been caused by a police officer or peace officer, including corrections officers, according to the New York Attorney General's Office. That mandate applies when a police or peace officer may have caused the death, not simply whenever law enforcement is present during a fatal incident.
No further details about the man or the specific circumstances leading up to the encounter have been made public as the investigation continues.
