Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin has released the following report about the investigation into the May 25 death of Whitehall resident Thomas Duffy:

"At approximately 1:15 a.m. on Monday, May 25, 2015, Officer Donald Stratton, while on routine patrol, observed a 1998 black Ford Explorer with Pennsylvania registration plate HNL1938 in the 500 block of Front Street. The vehicle stopped at Third and Bridge streets, but failed to signal while turning right onto Bridge Street. Officer Stratton continued to follow the vehicle and initiated his emergency lights in the area of Bridge and Front streets. The vehicle made a right turn and continued to the intersection of Front and Pine streets, where it stopped at a red light. It then made a right turn onto Pine Street eastbound. The vehicle pulled over at Pine and Railroad streets, but the officer observed the brake lights going on and off and heard and observed the vehicle accelerate forward several times before it pulled away and then stopped at Second and Pine streets.

"Once again, the vehicle accelerated and moved forward several times, and then accelerated onto Second Street traveling south. Officer Stratton pursued the vehicle. It made a right turn onto Bridge Street traveling west, then a right turn onto Front Street traveling north. The vehicle then began to swerve from side to side, and turned left onto the Pine Street Bridge traveling west. The vehicle then stopped on the bridge, and the operator exited the vehicle and fled on foot westbound away from Officer Stratton. The officer gave chase on foot, drew his Taser and yelled commands for the subject to stop. Officer Stratton then discharged his Taser as the subject was running away from him. The Taser probes appeared to have hit the subject in the back area; however, it did not appear to have an effect upon him. The subject then moved to the rail, threw his leg up onto and over the ledge of the bridge and rolled off of the bridge. He fell approximately 32 feet to the ground below the bridge in the area of the Norfolk Southern Railroad line.

"The subject/operator was subsequently identified as Thomas Francis Duffy of 613 Second St., Whitehall, whose date of birth was Jan. 14, 1953, making him 62 years of age. Mr. Duffy was pronounced dead at the scene by Lehigh County Deputy Coroner Craig Hanzl. An autopsy was conducted and the cause and manner of death are pending the receipt of toxicological studies. Preliminarily, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and chest. On autopsy, it was determined that the Taser probes had failed to penetrate Mr. Duffy's skin.

"I have viewed a video taken from Officer Stratton's patrol vehicle dashboard camera, and it appears that Mr. Duffy went over the rail of the bridge completely voluntarily and without any action on the part of Officer Stratton.

"This matter is under investigation by the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, and further details will be released upon completion of the investigation. Pending the completion of the investigation, there will be no further information released."