TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE – A 74-year-old man put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger as police repeatedly urged him to drop the firearm.
The incident took place just before 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12 after Orange County 911 dispatched the State Police and Town of Mount Hope Police to 41 Forrest Drive in Mount Hope for a report of a potential suicide.
The caller said they heard a gun go off and believed the man, later identified as Russell Teuschler, had shot himself.
Responding officers encountered Teuschler and attempted numerous times to have him drop his weapon, but he fired striking himself in the head, taking his own life despite state troopers’ efforts to revive him.
(Listen to the actual police radio report. This audio may be disturbing to some listeners.)
The State Attorney General’s Office was notified and responded to investigate as required by the state.
The investigation is continuing by State and Mount Hope Police and the Attorney General’s Office.
