Rape suspect dies after officer-involved shooting on West Street

A man wanted on a first-degree rape charge died Wednesday after an officer-involved shooting in the Carthage neighborhood of West Street and South Washington Street.

New York State Police report that troopers pulled over a vehicle to arrest the suspect, who was named on a bench warrant. According to the troopers, the man pointed a handgun at a state police investigator. He did not comply with verbal commands to disarm before a member of the state police fired a gun, striking him.

Medics treated the man at the scene and transported him to Carthage Area Hospital in critical condition. He later died. Jefferson County dispatchers reported the person was conscious and able to speak when they first received the call. Multiple police agencies responded to the intersection, which residents described as a quiet area.

Samantha Ortiz, who lives nearby, said the scene was unsettling for the community. "To see this in my front yard is kind of nerve-racking because I've lived here for about a year and a half and it's been a really safe neighborhood," Ortiz said.

Yellow police tape cordoned off West Street between South Washington and Thorpe streets. Police have not released the names of the suspect or the officer who fired the weapon.

The state Attorney General's Office is investigating the incident. The agency conducts investigations into all officer-involved shootings in New York.