Man Arrested After Hatchet Attack At Concord Shopping Center

CONCORD, NH — A man was arrested Sunday accused by witnesses and police of beating another man with a hatchet outside of a shopping center over a panhandling spot.

According to an affidavit and scanner chatter, officers were sent to Fort Eddy Road around 4:30 p.m. for a report of an assault with an ax. A description of the man was given and one officer tracked down the suspect near the Exit 14 Interstate 93 interchange. The suspect was identified as Curtis James Ayer, 31, of no known address.

Officers spoke with the witness, a woman who had pulled over on Stickney Avenue to speak with them. She said two men were arguing and then she saw one man drop his backpack, take out a hatchet-shaped object, and start beating the other man, swinging the hatchet at his arms and head, according to the affidavit. Another witness confirmed what the first woman saw, according to the report.

Officers spoke to the victim, a man in his mid-30s, who confirmed he was struck in the meaty part of his shoulder by the back end of the hatchet. The victim said he only knew the suspect by the initials "CJ" — who was upset because the victim was "flying a sign" in "his area," the report stated. The victim accused Ayer of coming up to him and saying something like, "That's it, time to go," the report said. The victim countered, "What's your problem?" Ayer was accused of saying, "You."

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As the victim packed up his things to leave, Ayer "came at him with a hatchet, swinging it in a back-handed motion while holding it in his right hand and striking him," the affidavit said. The victim said Ayer attempted to strike him again but he dodged the swing, the report said. After a passerby started yelling, Ayer left the area, the affidavit said.

The victim gave a description of the hatchet and clothing and officers matched it with Ayer at the I-93 overpass. He was then arrested and held without bail.

Ayer was arraigned in Merrimack County Superior Court on Jan. 11 and is due back in court for a dispositional conference on March 22.

According to court documents and posts on Patch, Ayer has several prior run-ins with police. In June 2007, he was accused of felony burglary and criminal trespass in Goffstown and pleaded down to the trespass charge only. A year later, he was accused of violation of probation and found guilty on the charge in August 2014 after being arrested on court and Manchester police warrants in Concord two months before. Ayer was arrested on a simple assault charge in July 2019, criminal trespass and breach of bail charges in July 2019, and a warrant in November 2019, Ayer was arrested on disorderly conduct, resisting arrest or detention, and criminal threatening charges after an incident at CVS on Hall Street in April.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and Merrimack County Superior Court and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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