One Arrested, Another at-Large After Bedlam in East Concord

CONCORD, NH — A former Concord resident was arrested and another person is currently being sought by police after what appears to have been a burglary gone bad in Chichester that led to two different car crashes in Concord. Christopher Stafford, 34, of Manchester, was arrested on Jan. 6, 2016, for resisting arrest in Concord.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by Concord Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

Detail of the investigation are limited at post time but Concord Police confirmed scatter chatter from yesterday that one person – Stafford – was arrested, refused bail, and will be arraigned remotely on Monday. Police also confirmed this morning that a second man was being sought but information was not being released at post time, due to the ongoing investigation.

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According to scanner chatter, Chichester Police were reportedly called to a burglary in that community and chased after two men fleeing the area. At some point, New Hampshire State Police also became involved in the situation and the chase moved from Chichester into Concord.

Around Mountain Road near Sanborn Road, two vehicles crashed and Stafford and another man fled the area. At some point after that, another vehicle was obtained by the men, and the chase continued, which led to a second crash on Shawmut Street, just off the intersection of East Side Drive and Mountain Road.

A Patch reader posted video footage from a security camera at his home. See below:

The two men fled the scene, leaving the Mercury Mountaineer they were driving in, rolling back into the intersection. A hunt ensued for the men leading Concord Police to different parts of the city – the South End, Manchester Street, Garvins Falls Road, and a rooming house on Pleasant Street – trying to find them. Stafford was later arrested; the second man is still at-large.

At least two people were sent to the hospital with injuries and were questioned by police, according to scanner chatter.

An investigating officer working the case for the Chichester Police stated that the specific charges against Stafford in that community would be released on Monday, as well as more information about the case.

Stafford’s previous arrest history

Stafford, who previously lived on East Side Drive in Concord, is no stranger to police, according to reports on Patch and other online media outlets.

Back in September 2011, he was arrested twice – once for reckless operation, after an alleged incident on Prospect Street, and a theft charge, after an alleged incident at the Steeplegate Mall on Loudon Road.

In January 2015, he was arrested for driving after revocation or suspension after a stop sign violation of Ormond Street. According to the NH DMV, his license was suspended in March 2014 for cancelled insurance.

Also in June 2015, Stafford and his mother, Ruth Stafford, 58, were arrested on heroin trafficking charges after a traffic stop on I-295 in West Gardiner, ME, according to a report on CentralMaine.com. According to a court affidavit, 4.2 grams of heroin was allegedly found in the vehicle. They were held on $40,000 cash bail but were released later.