Catt Sheriff dead from apparent suicide

COLD SPRING, N.Y. (WIVB) - Cattaraugus Sheriff Dennis B. John was found on Sunfish Run Road in the Town of Cold Spring in Cattaraugus County at 9:30 Tuesday morning.

State Police are not speculating at this time on the cause of his death.  However, News 4 has learned that his death was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound; an apparent suicide.

"We are investigating the death of Sheriff John," New York State Trooper Rebecca Gibbons, State Police Spokesperson, said late Tuesday morning.  A statement from the NYS Police said that it does not appear that any foul play was involved.

Sheriff John was New York's first Native American Sheriff and was appointed by Governor Pataki in 2005.

Official statement from the NY State Police

Jamestown, NY, August 18, 2009 -The New York State Police and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating the death of Cattaraugus County Sheriff Dennis B. John. Sheriff John was found deceased in the Town of Cold Spring at 9:30 am this morning on Sunfish Run Road. The cause of death appears to be a self-inflicted gun shot wound. At this time the investigation is ongoing, however, it does not appear that any foul play was involved.

Barry E. Snyder, Sr. Statement in Response to Death of Cattaraugus County Sheriff Dennis John

"On behalf of the Seneca Nation, we were deeply saddened to hear of the death of one of our most trusted and respected members, Dennis John. He was committed to his profession as a law enforcement professional both for the Nation and Cattaraugus County. Each day he put the safety and well-being of others first. It was his life's passion. Our deepest condolences go out to his family on this very difficult day."
 

Profile from NYSheriffs.org

Dennis John is the first Native American to hold the Office of Sheriff in New York State. He began his police career with Seneca Nation Law Enforcement. He served on the Salamanca Police Department and the Allegany State Park Police before joining the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office in 1981.

He steadily rose through the ranks, serving as Chief of Detectives before being named Undersheriff, and then acting-Sheriff. In 2005, he was appointed Sheriff by then-Governor George Pataki. Sheriff John has an extensive resume of participation in law enforcement training, which includes being a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, Virginia.

In addition, he is a member and past President of the New York State Police Juvenile Officers Association. Sheriff John also serves as a member and past President of the NYS Police Juvenile Officers Association. He serves on the NYS Association of Counties’ Public Safety Committee, the Cattaraugus County Fire Police Association, the Counter-Terrorism Zone 13 Committee, and he is co-chair of the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force.

Cattaraugus County has a population of 85,000 and consists of 1,336 square miles.