Litchfield Police Chief Arrested On Official Oppression Charge

CONCORD, NH — A police chief in Hillsborough County was arrested on Thursday on an official oppression charge, accused of sexually harassing a subordinate.

Benjamin Sargent, 43, of Adam Drive in Hudson, the police chief of Litchfield, was arrested on Thursday on the single misdemeanor charge after a multi-month investigation by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The complaint first surfaced between April and May after two NH ACLU attorneys filed a complaint on behalf of a female officer in the department.

Around 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2021, a call to the suicide prevention hotline reported Sargent was driving drunk “with a pistol in his mouth,” an affidavit stated. Officers were sent to his home, found him intoxicated and aggressive toward them. But they stayed with him until around 5:30 p.m., leaving him later to “sober up,” the report said. By 11 p.m., an officer said, he was described as “still sh--faced,” the report said.

The town opened an investigation into the incident and Sargent admitted to calling Alcoholics Anonymous for about 30 minutes and admitted he was unable to stop drinking, the report said. He denied, however, driving or putting a gun in his mouth. An affidavit stated Sargent also admitted to interacting with the officer involved while intoxicated.

The report showed that around 7 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2021, Sargent texted the officer requesting to chat, the report said, and they spoke about 30 minutes later. The officer said the conversation lasted 96 minutes and amounted to Sargent saying he was experiencing stress, had been drinking over the holidays, and a family member was not happy about the situation, an affidavit said. He was accused of denying he was driving drunk or had a gun in his mouth and “felt everyone was betraying him” and worried the officer would, too, the report stated. The report said Sargent also admitted to having a crush on the officer several times.

The officer told Sargent she was being sent to a call near his house, and he requested she stop by and have some wine with him, the report stated, but she declined. After saying many officers stopped by his home while on calls, she declined again, and he requested a callback later, an affidavit stated.

During conversations with an investigator, Sargent was accused of denying “expressing romantic or sexual interest” in the officer. He did not, however, deny asking her to come over, the report said.

Around 10 p.m., the officer called Sargent, and they spoke for about an hour, with her accusing him of sounding more intoxicated than before, she said. They texted later, too, the investigator wrote.

At 11 a.m. on Jan. 1, Sargent called the officer, and they spoke about her family, which led him to be “really quiet,” and later said, “Well, that f---- things up, my sh--, because I’m getting a divorce,” the report said. He also mentioned again about having a crush on the officer.

About 15 minutes later, Sargent and the officer started texting about her schedule and other issues. Another call was held just before 1 p.m., dealing her schedule, how he was responsible for the schedule, and him also mentioning his crush, the report said. During that conversation, they both jokingly told each other to f--- off. Sargent, however, responded back, “I have a response to that, but it’s too inappropriate.”

The town and the department both have policies prohibiting sexual harassment — including a memorandum issued by Sargent in May 2021 outlining the department’s policy.

The investigator filed a warrant for Sargent’s arrest on Wednesday.

Sargent was processed and released on personal recognizance. He is scheduled for arraignment in Merrimack District Court on Jan. 12, 2023.

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