Belmont Officer-Involved Shooting 'Legally Justified': Officials

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has determined that an officer-involved shooting of a Northfield man in Belmont in June was "legally justified." Three Belmont officers – Sgt. Evan Boulanger, Officer Kristopher Kloetz, and Officer Patrick Riley – were found to have properly used deadly force in the June 15, shooting of Michael J. Sheehan II, a veteran of Northfield. Sheehan, a 1992 graduate of Winnisquam High School who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy and worked in construction, had been at New Hampshire Hospital in the past for a previous suicide attempt and according to witness statements, was mentally unstable and threatening to kill members of his family.

According to a 69-page report released Tuesday by investigators, Sheehan appeared to become increasing unstable during the three days before the incident. He had been "physically and emotionally" abusing a girlfriend of about four and half years and had threatened her with a firearm days before the shooting.

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Sheehan's girlfriend described him as moody going from the nicest person in the world to "your worst nightmare." She revealed past threats to her and her family and alleged that a few days before the shooting, he had put his handgun to her mouth and said that if she ever talked back to her again, she would "eat the bullet," the investigation stated.

The day before the shooting, she noticed that a firearm that she had purchased for Sheehan but had locked away had been missing.

On the day of the shooting, the couple went out to lunch, visited his parents in Northfield, and then she went to work. Sheehan's parents told investigators that he was initially in a good mood while with them. He later left with a female friend.

Sheehan and the friend went out to buy some gifts and for a couple of beers. During their time out, she stated that Sheehan had been texting someone and appeared aggravated. The friend dropped Sheehan off at his parents a short time later.

His parents described him getting ticked off at home due to not being able to find a dog toy he had purchased while he was texting people.

Sheehan then went to his sister's house in Belmont. On the way, his mother warned her daughter that Sheehan was on a "tangent" about the pet toy. When he arrived at her house, everything seemed to be OK, according to a friend of his sister's. But then, they began arguing politics, and she tried to calm him down. Sheehan "strangled her and put a gun to her head," and threatened to kill or shoot her, according to the report. His sister's friend convinced Sheehan to leave and he did.

Sheehan headed home to his parents and while driving, spoke to his mother and was "spewing all kinds of violent talk," was out of control on the phone, "beyond agitated," so she spoke with her husband and then called 911.

After returning home to Northfield, Sheehan discharged a bullet from his handgun outside, the report stated. He then entered his parents' home and "exploded" at his mother about the lost pet toy.

"He was 'really, really upset,'" the mother told investigators.

Sheehan took the cartridge out of his handgun, slammed it on a table, and bullets fell out. He then began yelling at his mother. Sheehan's mother ended up finding the dog toy just before police showed up at their home in response to her call. Sheehan attempted to sic his dog on them but the parents took the dog in the house.

For the next 40 minutes, officers attempted to calm Sheehan down. Sheehan, however, continued to speak about his military training, not needing weapons to kill anyone and, at one point, asked the officers to take out their firearms and "end his nightmare." When asked if he wanted to be checked in for treatment, he declined.

During the interaction with Northfield police, Sheehan's moods would fluctuate, according to the report, with him threatening officers at one moment and hugging them and apologizing the next. Having thought they stabilized him, officers left and Sheehan began speaking to his parents as if he were working with police and then, left to see his sister. His mother noticed that he had taken his handgun and called her daughter and then Sheehan.

During this interaction, Sheehan's mother stated that he was now threatening to kill his sister, her dog, and her male friend. Text messages were sent back and forth with Sheehan telling his sister, "You shouldn't have f----- with me today. Your (sic) done." She then texted her mother: "Well apparently hes (sic) coming here to kill me. Tell my girls I love them." Sheehan's mother wrote back advising that she get a hotel room and that cops had just talked him down. Sheehan's sister called police to warn them about the threats.

Belmont's police chief, Mark Lewandowski, as well as Boulanger and another officer arrived at her house to speak with her and a BOLO – be on the lookout – call was issued for Sheehan on a felony criminal threatening charge.

While police were in Belmont speaking with his sister, Sheehan texted his girlfriend and told her that he was at her home in Franklin and his sister was "going to die tonight." He also threatened others via text message, the report noted.

"I'm at your house getting my weapon ready for the purpose is (sic) was designed for. Death. Sorry hun. But this is me. This is what I do. I'm going to kill my sister and anyone else who gets in my way." Later, he wrote, "Don't worry. I'll be gone soon and I'll take everyone that doesn't deserve to live with me straight to hell."

Police in Belmont learned from Northfield police that officers had been at the home earlier and Sheehan's "suicide by cop" mention.

Officers in Belmont attempted to locate Sheehan by pinging his cellphone and during the process of driving back to headquarters, Riley spotted his car on Route 140 driving toward him. He notified dispatch, turned around, and followed Sheehan while other officers headed to the area. Sheehan then turned onto South Road with officers following him.

Sheehan, according to his mother, called her to report that officers were following him. He later pulled over on the side of the road while officers stopped and exited their vehicles. Riley and Kloetz were armed with .22 caliber semi-automatic rifles and stood behind their cruiser doors.

Sheehan was ordered out of his vehicle. He put his hands outside of the driver's side window and then, pulled them back in, and put them back out again. The officers ordered him to get out of his vehicle and Sheehan opened his vehicle door and replied, "I'm on the phone with my mom."

Sheehan's mother pleaded with him to stop but he said, "Mom, don't worry," as he began to cry.

Sheehan was ordered to exit his vehicle and walk backwards toward them. Instead, Sheehan got out, knelt down, and faced away from officers. Officers repeated commands for him to walk backwards toward them. Instead, Sheehan took a Taurus 9 mm out of his holster, put it under his chin, and faced officers, the report said.

Officers began ordering him to drop the gun repeatedly but he refused. A sergeant reported hearing Sheehan say something that he didn't understand. Sheehan then began walking briskly toward the officers, in an aggressive fashion, while officers told him to stop.

After about 25 feet, the officers began firing upon Sheehan, the report stated.

No police-issued video or audio recording devices recorded the incident – Belmont officers don't wear body cameras and their cruisers are not equipped with recording devices either – the investigation stated. Witnesses in the area were questioned and no one had any recordings of the incident. They only reported hearing the gunshots.

The three officers fired 13 rounds at Sheehan.

In his vehicle, investigators found a Creedmoor semi-automatic rifle with an optical scope with a fully loaded 20 round cartridge. He had 65 9 mm rounds in the vehicle. Family members confirmed that the firearms were his, according to the report.

Sheehan's blood alcohol level was 0.138 at the time of his death, according to a medical examiner. He also had caffeine, cotinine (a nicotine metabolite), THC, and THC metabolites in his system.

Sheehan had several criminal convictions, the report noted, including use of a Molotov cocktail-felony and reckless conduct in 1997; possession of a controlled drug in 2000; DWI-second offense in 2011; simple assault in 2014; domestic violence-simple assault and criminal threatening in 2016.

Boulanger, according to the investigation, was also the officer involved in the stop of Joseph Mazzitelli in Belmont in September 2017. During that incident, Boulanger shot at Mazzitelli but he died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

NH AG's Office Briefing Materials

• Final Report: Attorney General's Report Regarding the June 15, 2019 Officer-Involved Shooting Incident in Belmont, New Hampshire
• Final Report Presentation
• Photos from Presentation
• Belmond Police Department Dispatch Audio
• Michael Sheehan 911 Call Audio

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