New Hampshire Man Accused Of Assault, Grabbing Officer’s Gun: Reports

PORTSMOUTH, NH — A man from Dover faced assault, threat, and weapon charges after two incidents during the past six months.

Richard T. Will was arrested in Concord on Aug. 31 on a warrant out of Portsmouth after an incident at Walmart and Portsmouth Regional Hospital in mid-August.

According to an affidavit, around 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 16, officers were sent to the store for a report of a subject who was out on bail and might have active revocation of conditional discharge paperwork. The officer identified the man as Will, “through past encounters,” and arrested him. The officer took him directly to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

While being dropped off, the officer accused him of disobeying hospital staff orders while yelling, “It’s gonna be a rough night for you guys here” and “I’m gonna make it real rough for you guys.” Officers escorted Will to a pod, but as they were leaving, accused him of punching glass windows multiple times and screaming. The officers removed him from the pod to another area of the hospital, the report said.

Staffers requested Will be restrained, but he was accused of refusing to comply, swiping officer’s hands away when they tried to control him, and moving his body, too. Officers eventually brought Will down to the ground, double-cuffed him, and they, along with nurses, moved him onto a hospital bed, the affidavit said.

During the incident, one officer accused Will of grabbing onto his firearm holster and pulling at it. The officer told others he was trying to get his gun and the reporting officer stated he saw the attempt, the affidavit stated. The other officer attempted to calm Will down but he was accused of continuing to resisting, and saying, “No,” when being asked to comply. While this was going on, the officer also accused him of spitting at nurses multiple times.

After Will was secured, statements were taken from the nurses, and the officers cleared the area.

Will was arrested on Aug. 31 and charged with felony taking a firearm from a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest or detention, and two simple assault charges. He was arraigned on Sept. 1. Will is expected back in Rockingham County Superior Court on Oct. 6 for a dispositional conference.

Incident At North Hampton Motel

Back in mid-February, police arrested Will on criminal threatening-deadly weapon and domestic violence-criminal threatening-deadly weapon charges, both felonies, as well as disorderly conduct after an incident at the Pine Haven Motel on Lafayette Road.

A North Hampton officer was sent to the motel after a woman complained there was a man in her room who would not leave. While interacting with 911, the man left the motel, walking toward Portsmouth with luggage, an affidavit said.

the officer spoke with the complainant, a member of Will’s family, who gave the officer background about his mental health issues that had him in and out of the New Hampshire Hospital and other facilities despite being “a danger to himself and others,” an affidavit stated.

The victim accused Will of “talking nonsense” about “being set up,” which led him to eventually pull a knife on her, saying, “I should kill you because you’re part of the setup,” the report said. She described the knife and where he kept it, the affidavit said.

The officer also viewed a video she began recording of Will, which featured her telling him to leave and recorded a visual of what he was wearing, which the officer used to share his description with others, the report said.

Officers from Greenland, Portsmouth, and Rye began to assist North Hampton in searching Lafayette Road and a BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) call was issued. While this was happening, police learned another man dropped Will off in Portsmouth at the Mobil gas station on Lafayette Road.

Around 6:45 a.m., police found Will, arrested him, and held him on preventive detention.

Police spoke to other witnesses at the motel who reported screaming coming from the room and seeing Will leaving the area.

Will, according to the Rockingham County Superior Court, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and breach of bail charges on May 12. He received two six-month sentences, all suspended for a year, with 44 days time served.

A review hearing, however, was held on Aug. 22, due to the Portsmouth charges, and he was brought back into court on Sept. 23. Will has a review hearing booked for Nov. 17.

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