Man Attacked At Homeless Camp In Concord’s Healy Memorial Park

CONCORD, NH — Concord police are investigating an incident in Healy Memorial Park on Friday night, which led to a man suffering from a broken orbital socket.

Around 5:30 p.m., an officer in the area was requested to go to the park for a report of a man, covered in blood, on one of the trails in the park, which has become a collection of homeless camps. The victim told the caller he did not know what happened to him, but he was “not well,” a dispatcher said. Several officers and Concord fire and rescue teams headed to the area. Officers were told to go to the circle area inside the park, where the trails meet, while EMTs staged on Basin Street.

Police dispatch also requested investigators to the area and later reported the victim and the caller were inside a tent. An officer was also stationed at the park entrance to prevent others from coming in.

Other officers scoured the park, looking for the man, and realized he was closer to the Interstate. An officer then directed firefighters to the highway, in the clearing area, just before Exit 14 around 5:45 p.m.

The first officer to reach the victim said he was “talking and alert but does have significant injuries.”

The caller then returned to a vehicle on Basin Street. Other people on Basin Street were also requested to stay at the scene.

A few minutes later, the officer said the victim’s eyes had been swollen shut, but he was alert and conscious.

“He has a lot of blood on his shirt,” the officer said but did not know why, exactly, stating it might be blunt force trauma or something else.

Firefighters then took the man to Concord Hospital.

At around 6:15 p.m., a New Hampshire State Police trooper told state police dispatch they were heading to the park to assist Concord police, since it was unknown whether the incident involved blunt force trauma or a gunshot.

An officer also told dispatch the crime scene was secure for the evidence technician van.

Around 7:15 p.m., the officer said the victim was more than likely going to be taken to another hospital due to a broken orbital bone.

Several witnesses were questioned in the park and a possible suspect was identified, according to scanner chatter.

As of post time, police were still at the scene.

News 603 posted this video to Facebook from the scene.

Homelessness in the park has increased dramatically during the past few months.

Most of the camps were deep into the park along the river. But now, campsites have been set up along the park entrance, near the Manchester Street Bridge. During the past two years, several fires, a BB gun shooting, and a machete attack have occurred in the park. Campers have also been rescued after being trapped by the rising Merrimack River.

Concord NH Patch will update this post when more information becomes available.

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