Salem Police Sergeant Arrested On Felony Reckless Conduct Charge

SALEM, NH — The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has arrested a Salem police officer on charges of using a vehicle as a deadly weapon — more than seven years after the incident occurred. Sgt. Michael Verrocchi, 41, of Salem, was arrested on a felony reckless conduct with a deadly weapon charge as well as a misdemeanor charge stemming from a case on Nov. 10, 2012, in Salem. The attorney general's office accused Verrocchi of driving a Jeep Cherokee on Route 28 in excess of the posted speed limit while failing to stop when signaled to by another Salem police officer.

That officer, a press statement said, used "means of audible and visual emergency warning signals" informing Verrocchi he needed to stop. Instead of pulling over, Verrocchi is accused of fleeing from the officer and engaging in two-mile chase — placing himself and others in danger of injury.

"Verrocchi ran a red light and avoided spike strips placed in the roadway by (an) officer and continuously failed to stop for (the) officer," Kate Spiner, the director of communications said. "The vehicle being operated by Mr. Verrocchi constitutes a deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11."

These charges have been revealed after the attorney general's office began a criminal probe of some members of the police department, due to an audit of the department's culture, internal affairs investigations, and other issues. The New Hampshire Union Leader and the ACLU of New Hampshire is suing the town of Salem to gain access to an unredacted copy of the audit.

Verrocchi was suspended in February 2019 and placed on paid administrative leave. He continues to be employed as a sergeant, according to Spiner. He will be arraigned in Rockingham County Superior Court on Jan. 30. In October 2018, Verrochhi was honored with a community policing award for his work in the Salem community.

Salem Deputy Police Chief Joel Dolan said after the announcement of the arrest that Verrocch remained on leave consistent with the department's collective bargaining agreement and policy. The department is also cooperating "fully" with the attorney general's office, he said.

"Our agency is committed to transparency, legitimacy and to the highest standards of modern municipal policing," Dolan said. "We are committed to earning and maintaining the trust of our residents and visitors, and I sincerely appreciate the support of our community during this time."

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

Got a news tip? Send it to me at tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/tonyschinella.