A Stamford man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head outside his home late Thursday afternoon after a confrontation with state police, state police at Sidney said.
The incident occurred about half an hour after Dale A. Rossman, 41, shot and wounded his girlfriend, Connie L. Merwin, 35, in the abdomen during a domestic dispute at about 5 p.m., troopers said.
An autopsy was conducted Friday at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, and final toxicology results are pending, troopers said.
A media release from troopers late Thursday night said that "gunfire was exchanged and Rossman was fatally wounded."
Merwin was in the intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center, troopers said; her condition has stabilized and she was expected to recover.
Merwin was shot in the abdomen with a handgun when she attempted to leave her residence on Ferris Hill Road in Grand Gorge, troopers said.
Her mother, Bonnie Merwin, was reluctant to discuss her daughter's relationship with Rossman when contacted by phone Friday. She said he was jealous that her daughter was going to Utica School of Commerce in Oneonta, where she expected to graduate in May. Her daughter works for The Arc Otsego, and he was also jealous of that, the mother said. She then said she was waiting to hear from her daughter's doctor and had to end the call.
Rossman's brother, David, did not answer his phone Friday afternoon, and another family member could also not be reached.
But Rossman said at the scene Thursday that his brother was having problems in the relationship with Merwin.
Dale Rossman left the scene of the first shooting driving a blue Kia Rio, state police Capt. Mark Lester said Friday. According to a media release, the following occurred:
ä Dale Rossman was spotted driving west on Main Street and refused to stop for the patrols. He continued to drive to his residence at Lot 6 at a trailer park on Hobart Road, near the intersection of state Route 23. Troopers David J. Morgan and Matthew J. Gombosi followed him to the residence.
ä When Rossman got out of the car, he pointed his .44 caliber handgun at Gombosi, who discharged eight rounds from his duty-issued firearm, striking Rossman once in the leg.
ä At the same time, Rossman discharged one round into his own head, the release said.
State police said Rossman had a permit for the gun.
The investigation showed that Gombosi was justified in his actions. Both troopers were off from work Friday, Lester said, and it was not trooper policy to have them comment on the incident.
Troopers were assisted in their investigation by Delaware deputies, New York City Department of Environmental Protection police and Roxbury Town Constable Steve Williamson.
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