A Keene police officer who shot a 25-year-old man in April was legally justified in his actions, Attorney General John Formella ruled Thursday.
Officer Jake Dube responded to a 911 call in the southern area of downtown Keene for a “person in distress” and a “suspicious person walking up and down the street.”
During that encounter, Dube shot Cullen Costa in the chest.
Though Costa survived, the attorney general’s office investigates every instance where a police officer uses deadly force. Police are legally justified in using lethal force as a last resort when they reasonably believe their lives or the lives of others are in danger.
The details of the attorney general’s investigation have not yet been made public because Costa faces criminal charges.
In August, Keene police officers also shot and killed local resident David Ward after an hours-long standoff. That incident is still under investigation.
Five other people have been shot by police in New Hampshire so far this year, with others occurring in Derry, Londonderry, Pelham, Dover and Manchester.
In 2024, police officers used deadly force nine times, with all but one incident resulting in a loss of life. So far, the attorney general’s office has ruled the use of deadly force was legally justified in every incident that occurred last year.
