DURHAM — A Greene County man wanted by police died Tuesday morning when he fell down a cliff while attempting to flee from a traffic stop, Steven Nevel, public information officer for state police Troop F said.
Christopher Stanton, 40, of Tannersville, was pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center, Nevel said.
Police did not immediately disclose the height from which Stanton fell.
On Monday, at about 11:31 p.m. state police noticed a 1994 Ford F-150 pick-up truck that was in violation of New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law on county Route 67 in the town of Durham, Nevel said.
A trooper initiated a vehicle and traffic stop at the intersection of county Route 67 and O’Hara Road.
As police approached the truck, an occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Stanton, fled on foot from the front passenger seat, Nevel said.
Stanton was wanted by police on multiple felony bench warrants, Nevel confirmed Tuesday.
Stanton fled into a wooded area on the west side of the road.
The trooper entered the woods in an attempt to locate Stanton and saw him lying at the bottom of a steep rock embankment, Nevel said.
Police made their way down the embankment and rendered first aid until additional emergency personnel arrived.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Ambulance and Greene County Paramedics arrived on the scene and assisted with first aid and the recovery of Stanton back up the embankment, Nevel said.
Stanton was placed on a Life Net helicopter and was flown to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries, Nevel said.
The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by state police and the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
When the Monday night incident occurred, Stanton was out on bail, following his arrest on May 7, for allegedly attacking another man at a Catskill motel.
That night, state police responded to the Catskill Inn, 7848 Route 9W, after receiving reports that a man had been assaulted and weapons were involved, Nevel said.
When troopers arrived, they spoke with the victim, who said three men entered his room and began punching him and shooting him with a BB gun. The victim also said the assailants fled the area in different directions.
Stanton was charged that night with burglary of a dwelling, causing injury, a class B felony, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both class D felonies. He was also charged with manufacturing drug-related paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor.
Stanton had previously been arrested in February 2020 on charges of bail jumping in the town of Cairo, and in October 2021 on drug possession charges in Cairo.