Sexual Assault Suspect Killed By NHSP After Pursuit Through Mass.

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office is investigating an officer involved shooting incident in Newton, NH, last night, according to a press statement. At around 11 p.m. on June 15, 2017, Massachusetts State Police spotted a man in Malden, MA, who was wanted out of Maine on multiple charges, including weapons and a sexual assault charge. The suspect attempted to flee from MSP and a pursuit ran through most of Merrimack Valley – with the suspect reportedly shooting at police and even driving the wrong way on I-495, according to WBZ-TV.

Suspect's vehicle in the Newton, NH shootout with MA SP and Newton, NH police after chase through MA towns and over the NH border pic.twitter.com/tZb9YKNqYS
— Rick Macomber (@boston_camera) June" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/boston_cam... 16, 2017

“In addition to firing at pursuing troopers,” Dave Procopio of the MSP said in a statement, “the suspect drove much of the pursuit on damaged tires after he struck stop sticks but did not stop.”

The pursuit spilled into New Hampshire and ended at just before midnight at the intersection of Bear Hill Road and Amesbury Road in Newton when the suspect – Michael Brown, 40, of Presque Isle, ME – crashed the stolen pickup truck that he was driving into a tree. He then allegedly fired shots at state police.

Amesbury Rd resident says he heard suspect fire about 30 rounds at police after crashing vehicle in Newton. He says police returned fire. pic.twitter.com/daw2eciW4w
— Jason Schreiber (@Schreibernews) June" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/Schreibern... 16, 2017

“The suspect was subsequently shot and killed during a brief confrontation between the suspect and several Massachusetts State Troopers,” according to Jeffrey Strelzin, a senior assistant attorney general. “He was the sole occupant of the vehicle. An autopsy will be scheduled in order to determine the suspect’s exact cause of death.”

The names of the officers are being withheld at post time as the incident continues to be investigated.

According to WGME.com, there was on a statewide manhunt looking for Brown on multiple charges, including the sexual assault charge that reportedly occurred last week. Tipsters initially stated on Thursday that he might be in the Portland area driving a Toyota SUV. Jason Schreiber, a freelance reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader, reported this morning on Twitter that a resident in the neighborhood reported hearing about 30 rounds of gunfire right after the crash. Brown, according to press reports in Maine, had been let out of prison recently after serving time on a kidnapping charge. He was released from prison in February 2012, but sent back after being arrested for domestic-violence assault, domestic-violence criminal threatening, and violating conditions of release charges in August 2012.

Anyone with information about the case is being asked to contact the New Hampshire State Police at 603-223-4381.

Screenshot courtesy of Everipedia.com via Facebook.