MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) - A man accused of stabbing a police dog with a screwdriver during a standoff in Manchester, New Hampshire died Friday, hours after he was shot by police, officials said.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark Hall in a joint statement said the incident started around 9:30 a.m. when Manchester police officers responded to the area of Pine Street and Plummer Street and spotted a suspicious man.
Officials said officers chased the man and eventually found him hiding inside a stolen vehicle.
Manchester police at one point used a loudspeaker to communicate with with the man. In additional tense moments, police said they used two SWAT vehicles to trap the car in which the man was hiding.
The man refused commands to get out of the vehicle though, according to Formella and Hall, and at one point allegedly stabbed a police K-9 while officers tried to take him into custody.
Officials said the man, identified as Jake Chiaradonna, fled on foot before he again assaulted the K9 “and confronted officers around the side of a building.” Officials said one officer shot Chiaradonna during the struggle.
Chiaradonna was taken to a local hospital Friday where he later died.
Officials said no law enforcement officers were physically injured.
The injured K9, named Duke, was taken to a veterinarian where officials said he was treated and later released.
“Duke’s been here, been a K9 for six-and-a-half, seven years,” Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg told 7NEWS. “A good dog – did what is asked of him and, unfortunately, sometimes we’ve got to put these K9s in harm’s way.”
While an investigation was ongoing, law enforcement sources on Friday told 7NEWS Chiaradonna appeared to be the suspect behind an armed bank robbery that occurred in Newington earlier in the week.
Formella and Hall confirmed Chiaradonna was a suspect in a robbery but did not provide any further information.
Investigators remained on scene in Manchester Friday night, with crime tape in place around the site of this shooting until shortly before 9 p.m.
The entire incident is now being investigated by the New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit and the Attorney General’s office.
While that investigation continued, area residents said they were in shock.
“[It was] scary!” said Olga Hannon. “I’ve been here for five years and we have never had anything happen, like ever.”
“This used to be a family neighborhood,” said one other person.
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