David Ward Obituary, Death; – A tense standoff in downtown Keene ended Tuesday night when police fatally shot a man they say was armed during a hours-long confrontation. Authorities have identified the man as 57-year-old David Ward of Keene.
According to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Keene police stopped a car Tuesday afternoon near West Street and Gilbo Avenue with Ward and a female passenger inside. The woman left the vehicle without incident, but police say Ward remained behind the wheel and was seen holding a gun.
Officers secured the area and called in the State Police SWAT Unit. Around 8 p.m., officials say multiple rounds were fired, striking the SWAT team’s armored vehicle. Five troopers returned fire, hitting Ward. He was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy conducted Wednesday found Ward died from multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was ruled homicide—a medical term meaning one person killed another, without indicating whether the killing was justified.
The five troopers who fired their weapons have not been named. Investigators say footage from a camera mounted on the armored vehicle captured the incident and will be reviewed as part of the ongoing inquiry
