UNH Health-Wellness Student Arrested for Assaulting State Trooper

EXETER, NH - A student at the University of New Hampshire was arrested this morning after allegedly punching out a state trooper and fleeing the scene of a driving while intoxicated arrest last night, according to state police.

Christopher St. Onge, 22, of Hampstead, was arrested on April 2, 2016, and charged with felony escape, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, DWI, transportation of alcoholic beverages, and other motor vehicle related charges.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire State Police. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch police report.

According to a report, a state trooper initiated a motor vehicle stop on Main Street in Durham at around 11:45 p.m. on April 1, after reportedly seeing the vehicle driving erratically, crossing over the white fog line, and crossing over the centerline into oncoming traffic.

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The trooper stopped the vehicle and spoke to the driver – St. Onge – and he agreed to perform a field sobriety test, according to Lt. Kevin Duffy of Troop A.

“(The trooper) developed probable cause to arrest St. Onge for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI),” he noted in a report. “When she notified him of that, St. Onge assaulted her by punching her in the face. (The trooper) exchanged strikes with St. Onge, in defense of herself, who managed to escape by fleeing the area.”

State police, Durham Police, and UNH Police made “significant attempts” to find and arrest St. Onge to no avail. At just before 11 a.m. on April 2, St. Onge coordinated with his attorney to surrender to state police.

The state trooper was treated by Durham Fire and Rescue teams at the scene and is “doing well, considering the assaults against her,” according to Duffy.

“The NH State Police is committed to ensuring public safety and (the trooper’s) actions are an example of what troopers face during the course of their duty,” Duffy stated. “State Police Colonel Robert Quinn expresses his thanks to (her) for her dedication to that effort. NH State Police would like to thank Durham Police Department, UNH Police Department, Kingston Police Department and Durham Fire and Rescue for their assistance during this investigation.”

St. Onge, according to his LinkedIn profile, works part-time in marketing and is majoring in health and wellness at the school.