Officer-involved shooting in Keene justified, AG says

KEENE — State investigators have concluded Keene police officers were justified in shooting a Wilford Street man last month.

Wednesday afternoon Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Christopher J. Wagner released the preliminary report regarding the investigation into the officer-involved shooting of Patrick Letendre that occurred in Keene July 10.

“Sergeant Christopher Simonds and Police Officer Mark Cotton of the Keene Police Department were legally justified in the use of deadly force when each officer discharged his firearm at Mr. Letendre,” MacDonald and Wagner said in the news release. “This report is limited and not fully detailed because criminal charges may be brought against Mr. Letendre for his actions before and during the shooting incident. … Because criminal charges may be brought against Mr. Letendre for his conduct before and during the incident, certain details are being withheld at this juncture in accordance with the dictates of the above Rule. However, once those other prosecutorial decisions have been made and any potential criminal matters have concluded, the Attorney General’s Office will issue a fully detailed final report on this officer-involved shooting incident.”

Keene police responded to 40 Wilford Street on July 10 around 2:04 p.m. to assist a woman and her child who were removing their belongings from that residence.

Another of the residents at that apartment was 28-year-old Patrick Letendre.

After the belongings were removed, there was a brief confrontation between Letendre and two Keene police officers.

“During that confrontation, the two police officers discharged their weapons and Mr. Letendre was wounded by gunfire. He was taken to a hospital where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries,” MacDonald and Wagner said following the shooting.

Letendre when contacted by the Monadnock Beat following the shooting declined to comment.