This story was originally produced by the Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has determined that a Charlestown police officer was justified in using deadly force during a November pursuit.
Officer Jacob Sands shot Christian Paquette, 23, in the stomach and arm during the Nov. 14 encounter, the Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.
Paquette was speeding in a vehicle with no visible license plate, according to the AG’s office.
Law enforcement authorities allege Paquette accelerated away from Sands, which began a pursuit that reached roughly 90 miles per hour, per a November news release from the AG’s office. That release said Paquette ultimately stopped the vehicle and began to flee on foot, and Sands, who saw a knife during the pursuit, fired multiple shots.
The shooting took place on Claremont Road, according to the November news release.
Paquette survived the shooting, the AG’s office said, and the Sullivan County Attorney’s Office brought charges against him in connection with the incident.
Wednesday’s news release did not specify the charges; a spokesperson for the AG’s office was not immediately available for comment.
Wednesday’s news release did not specify the charges; a spokesperson for the AG’s office deferred questions about this to the Sullivan County Attorney’s Office. The office said it will issue a full report from the investigation — including the reasoning behind the deadly-force determination — when legal proceedings have finished.