State trooper who fatally shot man at hospital was justified in use of deadly force, report says

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire state trooper who fatally shot a man at a psychiatric hospital in November shortly after the man killed a security guard was justified in using deadly force, the state attorney general said in a report Thursday.

The trooper, Nathan Sleight, fired at John Madore on Nov. 17 after Madore fatally shot Bradley Haas, a state Department of Safety security officer who was working at the New Hampshire Hospital’s front entrance. Madore was a former patient at the Concord hospital.

The report said Madore entered the hospital and fired a pistol at the unarmed Haas, who was standing near the entrance, “immediately and without warning" before firing multiple shots at the lobby wall, a switchboard service window, a secured door leading into the hospital from the lobby, and back at Haas. He started to reload his pistol when Sleight drew his own service pistol, opened a door leading from his office into the lobby and commanded Madore to drop his gun. .

Madore turned and faced Trooper Sleight, ignored his commands and continued to try to reload his pistol,” Attorney General John Formella's report said. Sleight shot him and Madore fell to the floor. “While on the floor Madore again continued to try to reload his pistol, causing Trooper Sleight to fire the remaining ammunition in his service pistol at Madore in an effort to stop Madore from reloading,” the report said.

At about that time, a residential patient who was unaware of what was happening .