2006 Manchester, New Hampshire police shooting

The 2006 Manchester, New Hampshire police shooting was an incident that took place on October 16, 2006 in Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The incident occurred when police officer

Police officer

A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...

Michael Briggs was shot while on duty. Briggs was later transported to the hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

before dying of his injuries. The suspect, Michael "Stix" Addison, fled the state of New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

, prompting a manhunt

Manhunt (law enforcement)

In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....

by police. Fifteen hours after the shooting, Addison was arrested in Dorchester, Massachusetts

Dorchester, Massachusetts

Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...

, waived extradition and was transported back to New Hampshire. Prior to his return to New Hampshire, Addison was charged by Boston Police with being a fugitive from justice. Addison was transported to the Suffolk County Jail

Suffolk County, Massachusetts

Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...

with $2 million (2006 USD

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

) in bail (contrary to other news reports). The incident prompted prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Michael Addison, which caused a debate about the place of capital punishment in New Hampshire

Capital punishment in New Hampshire

Capital punishment in the U.S. state of New Hampshire is a legal form of punishment for the crime of capital murder. Capital murder is the only crime for which the death penalty may be imposed in the state. Since 1734, twenty-four people have been executed, with the last execution carried out in 1939...

.
Recent news reports indicated that the October 12, 2006 shooting and a string of crimes that occurred a week earlier resulted in the arrest and questioning of two more people connected with Addison.

A week after the shooting, a memorial service was held on October 21, 2006, and state and local politicians and various charity organizations expressed their condolences to the Briggs family and the community of Manchester. In January 2007, the Manchester Police Department retired Michael Briggs' badge number in honor of the fallen officer. In March 2007 a trial date for Addison was set for early September 2008.

The capital murder trial of Michael Addison was the first for the state of New Hampshire

New Hampshire

since Gordon E. Perry was indicted for capital murder charges for the shooting of Officer Jeremy Charron in 1997.

Michael Briggs

Michael Briggs (1971–2006) was born in Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester, New Hampshire

, and served in the United States Marines from 1991–1995 after graduating from Pembroke Academy

Pembroke Academy

Pembroke Academy is a secondary school in Pembroke, New Hampshire.-History:Pembroke Academy was incorporated on June 25, 1818, and the first building dedicated May 25, 1819. The academy opened with 48 students on May 26, 1819. The first headmaster of Pembroke Academy was the Reverend Amos Burnham...

in 1990. From 1995–2001 he worked as a correctional officer and a police officer for the Epsom

Epsom, New Hampshire

Epsom is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,566 at the 2010 census.-History:Incorporated in 1727, Epsom takes its name from Epsom, England. Although dotted with several small mountains, the land was suitable for grazing and growing grain...

Police Department from 1995-1998. On May 2, 2001, Briggs became a police officer for the Manchester Police Department and was assigned as a bicycle police officer. Briggs graduated from the New Hampshire Police Academy in November 2001. In 2004, he received a life-saving medal after saving residents from a burning building. He was awarded the Congressional Law Enforcement Award in October 2005 for the same actions. Briggs was a member of the New Hampshire Police Association and friend and co-worker of Jeremy Charron, who died in August 1997. Briggs was married and the father of two young sons.

Michael K. Addison

The defense sought to convince jurors that Addison's troubled upbringing living between his grandmother's home in Brockton, Massachusetts

Brockton, Massachusetts

Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...

and one of Boston's most violent and drug-ridden housing projects in the Roxbury neighborhood, being raised by an alcoholic mother, and a father who abandoned him as reasons why he should not be put to death.

Born in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

on March 19, 1980, Michael Addison was abandoned by his biological father, Michael Wilson. He was adopted by Lucious Addison, a disabled Vietnam veteran, and Rosetta Addison, his maternal grandmother who legally adopted him from the age of two. Lucious and Rosetta later divorced, and Rosetta reared her own teenage children and "Little Michael" in what was described as a chaotic setting. He attended high school in Dorchester but did not graduate.

According to court records, in the ten years before the October 16, 2006 shooting, Addison had numerous run-ins with the police. On August 10, 1996 he beat Cheryl Kiser (his birth mother) and threatened to kill her. According to court filings, Kiser was a fifteen year old girl with a history of psychiatric problems who neglected her prenatal care and who engaged in violence, drug abuse and alcohol abuse during her pregnancy with Michael. There were, according to the defense filing, serious prenatal and peri-natal complications of Kiser's pregnancy with Michael Addison resulting in impaired brain function. Addison was charged in South Boston Juvenile Court with delinquent threatening and delinquent assault and battery against Kiser. He pled delinquent, and both charges were placed on file for the first-time offender.

According to court records, Addison was still a 16-year-old juvenile in 1996 when he pointed a revolver in another Dorchester high school student's face. The gun misfired; Manuel Andrade was spared. Firearms expert Marc Dupre testified that the gun was in poor condition, but it was capable of firing a bullet. He said it might have been able to fire after several squeezes of the trigger or after moving the cylinder slightly. Addison was one of the first juveniles to be indicted under Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

' new youthful offender law, which allowed him to be prosecuted as an adult and face potential adult penalties. He was subsequently charged with assault with intent to kill, assault and battery, and possession of a firearm and ammunition without a permit. On July 21, 1997, he pleaded guilty to the three charges and was committed to state Department of Youth Services custody until his 21st birthday, followed by a suspended term of adult incarceration of from two to three years.

According to court records, while out on bail awaiting trial for the 1996 offense, the day after his 17th birthday, Addison was charged with armed robbery and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon when he robbed, kicked, and stabbed Tredaine Purdy with a knife in the lower back at a park in neighboring Roxbury on March 20, 1997. Addison pleaded guilty in December, 1997, to armed robbery and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon—the armed assault with intent to murder charge was dismissed under the plea agreement—that resulted in Addison being sentenced 2–3 years (to run concurrent with the prior sentence) in secure juvenile facilities and state prison in Massachusetts, with three years of supervised probation to follow release from prison on his 21st birthday.

Addison was freed early, in September 2000, and met with his probation officer who was preparing paperwork to transfer his probation to New Hampshire. However, Addison skipped town without the requisite permission. In November, 2000, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was brought to court in June, 2001, and was released on bail pending a hearing on the matter. However, he failed to appear for the hearing, and a second bench warrant was issued for the probation violation in July of that year.

At the time of the Briggs shooting, Michael "Stix" Addison was a resident of Manchester. Addison had previous encounters with Officer Briggs in New Hampshire. In 2002, Addison was arrested by Briggs near the Queen City Bridge in Manchester. In March 2003, Addison received first aid from Briggs after a shooting incident, assistance that ironically may have saved Addison's life. The shooter, Thomas Williams, was arrested July 15, 2003, and pled guilty in March, 2004. In October, 2006, he reached a deal for a shortened sentence contingent upon his testifying for the prosecution in the Officer Briggs murder case.

In October 2003, Addison was arrested in Londonderry, New Hampshire

Londonderry, New Hampshire

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,236 people, 7,623 households, and 6,319 families residing in the town. The population density was 555.8 people per square mile . There were 7,718 housing units at an average density of 184.6 per square mile...

, and charged with false imprisonment, criminal restraint, prowling and criminal threatening. Addison pled guilty to false imprisonment of Brian St. Peter in the dispute over drug money, a misdemeanor; he was sentenced to six months in the Rockingham County

Rockingham County, New Hampshire

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 277,359 people, 104,529 households, and 74,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 399 people per square mile . There were 113,023 housing units at an average density of 163 per square mile...

House of Corrections. The other charges were dropped in the plea deal, but on August 6, 2004, Addison stipulated to the fact that he was in violation of his Massachusetts probation by virtue of the false imprisonment. His probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to two to six months in the Suffolk County House of Correction for violating the terms of his probation.

For two years following that incarceration, Addison was apparently uninvolved in criminal activity until the crime spree in the week preceding the Officer Briggs shooting. According to court records, Addison was convicted of participating with Antoine Bell-Rogers in three separate felonies in the six days preceding the Briggs shooting.

October 16, 2006 Shooting

On October 16, 2006, Officer Michael Briggs and his partner John Breckenridge were responding to a domestic disturbance call involving Addison and Antonie Bell-Rodgers. When the two officers spotted the suspects, Briggs ordered them to stop. Bell-Rodgers stopped but Addison continued walking away. When Officer Briggs commanded Addison to stop, Addison turned and shot Briggs. Bell-Rodgers surrendered to police but Addison fled the crime scene

Crime scene

A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists....

. Later, police found Addison's gun and t-shirt. In a court reenactment, eyewitnesses claimed that moments before the shooting, they saw a dark gray van and two men jumping out of it and running north towards Lincoln Street where the shooting took place.

A manhunt

Manhunt (law enforcement)

In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....

was launched after the shooting, as SWAT

SWAT

A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...

teams and local police searched throughout the city of Manchester looking for Addison. A SWAT team showed up at an apartment building where Addison's girlfriend Angela Swist lived and found clothing stained with blood in a bathtub

Bathtub

A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...

and a bottle of bleach nearby and questioned Swist. Later the police executed search warrants at two other apartment buildings where they found more evidence. The manhunt forced several schools to be placed under lockdown

Lockdown

There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression....

as police and SWAT teams searched vehicles leaving or coming to work or school. The search later expanded into Massachusetts

Massachusetts

after an Internet search revealed Addison's previous address in Massachusetts and police using GPS to track his cell phone calls to an apartment building outside of Boston

Boston

where Addison was later found by police. After a stand-off with police, Addison was soon arrested.

Extradition and charges

Addison was extradited back to New Hampshire and denied his role in the murder. During a taped interview, Addison told his story six different times before confessing to authorities that he shot at the police officers coming towards him. The Manchester District Court

Manchester, New Hampshire

charged Addison with capital murder. As a result of the charge, prosecutors against Addison sought the death penalty as stated under New Hampshire state law

Capital punishment in New Hampshire

that a murder of a police officer is punishable by death. Later Addison was also charged with armed robbery, conspiracy

Conspiracy (crime)

In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...

and felony possession of a firearm in relation to a five day crime spree that started a week before the shooting.

Investigation and further arrests

An investigation conducted by local officials followed the shooting. During the investigation two women connected to Michael Addison turned themselves in to police after authorities issued warrants

Warrant (law)

Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...

for their arrest and the fact that they were accused of robbing a 7-Eleven

7-Eleven

7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...

store five days before the shooting. During an interview with police, one of the women, Angela Swist, told officers that she drove Addison and Anthonie Rodgers to the 7-Eleven on October 11, where Addison and his accomplice robbed the store and fled. She also admitted that she was the driver of the get-away car.

Antoine Bell-Rogers, one of the men arrested at the scene of the October 16, 2006 shooting, was charged with firing a handgun

Handgun

A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....

at an apartment and felony possession of a firearm but was not charged in connection with the shooting of officer Michael Briggs. A grand jury, however, charged Bell-Rogers with armed robbery and conspiracy after robbing a convenience store five days before the shooting. A bail of $50,000 (2006 USD) was set in October 2006 and was upheld in January 2007. On March 5, 2007, Bell-Rodgers asked the court to have his felony charges dropped.

After a number of charges were resolved either through conviction or plea, Antoine Bell-Rogers was sentenced to 60½ years in prison. (Source: WMUR Channel 9, April 30, 2008)

On March 28, 2007, the Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 380,841 people, 144,455 households, and 98,807 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 149,961 housing units at an average density of 171 per square mile...

Superior Court re-indicted Bell-Rogers of the weapons charges after a defense lawyer tried to dismiss Bell-Rogers original indictment. That same day, Teresia Shipley pleaded guilty for the charges of helping Addison rob a convenience store days before the shooting.

Trial

November 17, 2006: A pre-trial hearing was conducted, in which police officers told the judge about the shooting on October 16, 2006. The pre-hearing also allowed the officers and Judge William Lyons to place Michael Addison in superior (or state) court based on evidence. Some lawyers and legal observers suggested that the trial of Michael Addison could take years.

February 16, 2007: Defenders of Michael Addison complained about how the grand jury improperly subpoenaed records and eyewitness testimonies, as court rules stated that state prosecutors cannot present psychological evaluations, juvenile and other records without authorization of the judge.

February 23, 2007: Addison was indicted on his capital murder charges by a grand jury.

February 27, 2007: Addison pleaded not guilty of the capital murder charges during the five minute court hearing. Another court hearing was set for March 6.

March 8, 2007: The judicial council received $134,542 dollars (2007 USD) to pay defense representing Michael Addison.

March 14, 2007: Kathleen A. McGuire set a date for jury selection for Michael Addison's capital murder trial to be conducted on September 2, 2008. McGuire stated that the trial will start on that date after jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...

selection.

March 23, 2007: Attorneys defending Michael Addison planned to contest the use of capital punishment
Capital punishment in New Hampshire
Capital punishment in the U.S. state of New Hampshire is a legal form of punishment for the crime of capital murder. Capital murder is the only crime for which the death penalty may be imposed in the state. Since 1734, twenty-four people have been executed, with the last execution carried out in 1939...

. That plan includes revisiting controversial issues about the law after a previous trial back in 1997 when a man convicted of murdering a police officer escaped the death penalty. In addition, the defense attorneys wanted to move Addison's trial to another courthouse that had stricter security in order to prevent the newspaper and television media from taking photographs of Addison while he is in prison and entering or leaving the courthouse. The defense's claim arose from the concern that photographs of Addison would complicate his right to a fair trial. The claim was opposed by prosecutors who wanted the trial to remain in Manchester and argued that moving Addison to a different courthouse would interfere with the trial. On April 13, 2007, the judge rejected the defense attorneys' request to move Addison's trial hearings to another courthouse on the grounds that the trial of Addison will not impact on jury selection and any images printed by the media would not change Addison's status as they were already published.

April 27, 2007: Michael Addison was charged with armed robbery in relation of a robbery incident at a restaurant on October 10, 2006 which occurred during a string of crimes and before the October 16 shooting.

May 31, 2007: Attorneys for Michael Addison stated that the New Hampshire Supreme Court
New Hampshire Supreme Court
The New Hampshire Supreme Court is the supreme court of the U. S. state of New Hampshire and sole appellate court of the state. The Supreme Court is seated in the state capital, Concord. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices appointed by the Governor and Executive...

should halt all proceedings due to claims of how the courts handled the death penalty case for Addison. These claims included that the court not impose the death penalty case at all or that it enact certain rules pertaining to how the courts would handle a death sentence.

June 25, 2008: The trial court denied Addison's request for change of venue from the Superior Court in Manchester.

July 1, 2008: The trial court granted Addison's request to bifurcate the sentencing portion of the trial, assuming a finding of guilt. Essentially, the determination by the jury regarding the death penalty will be made in two stages: first, whether the death penalty may be applied and, second, whether the death penalty should be applied or if life without parole is the proper sentence. The court made numerous decisions throughout the year that allow the death penalty to be presented to the jury.

July 22, 2008: The trial court granted the defendant's motion to suppress his confession. It may not be used as evidence at trial in determining guilt.

September 22, 2008: Jury selection begun.

October 16, 2008: One day after the jury selection was completed, the Defense filed a motion renewing its request for a change of venue, asking the court to strike the panel chosen. The Court denied the motion.

October 20, 2008: In opening arguments, the Defense admits to murdering Officer Briggs, but claims it was not "knowing" but "reckless" and thus Second Degree Murder, subject to life imprisonment, but not the death penalty.

November 10, 2008: After 14 days of testimony, closing arguments are presented.

November 13, 2008: The jury unanimously found Michael Addison guilty of capital murder at the Hillsborough Superior Court in Manchester.

November 17, 2008: The jurors, charged with determining whether the convicted killer is eligible for the death penalty, said yes. However, they found that the State had not proven that Addison purposely murdered Officer Briggs.

November 21, 2008: The defense team press their case that mitigating circumstances call for life in prison without possibility of parole as the sentencing phase opens.

December 15, 2008: Final arguments presented in the sentencing phase. Jury deliberation begins.

December 18, 2008: Jury sentences Addison to death by lethal injection.

December 22, 2008: The judge imposes the death sentence, along with 63 years incarceration for the prior convictions stemming from the Addison/Bell-Rodgers crime spree in the week before the Officer Briggs murder.

Charities

The Manchester Police Patrolman's Association set up a charity fund for the Briggs family after the shooting. A charity set up the Portsmouth Police Department

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...

raised over $1 (2006 USD), while residents of Portsmouth

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

raised over $1 (2006 USD). The Manchester Monarchs

Manchester Monarchs

The Manchester Monarchs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Verizon Wireless Arena. They have been the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings since 2001.-History:...

ice hockey team, in partnership with WGIR AM

WGIR (AM)

WGIR is a radio station in Manchester, New Hampshire with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...

and FM

WGIR-FM

WGIR-FM is a radio station in Manchester, New Hampshire, airing an active rock format, branded as Rock 101. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. According to Arbitron, ROCK 101 is currently the #2 rated radio station in the Manchester radio market...

radio, raised over $1 (2006 USD

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

) though auctions. The president of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health gave the mayor of Manchester a $1 (2006 USD) check during a ceremony. The organization also set up a scholarship for the children of Michael Briggs which covers the tuition at the college in Manchester.
The only report of a charity scam was from Boston; this resulted in two men being arrested. Police reports indicated that the men took advantage of Officer Briggs' murder by going around and asking for money for the Briggs family. About 62 people were reported being scammed by the perpetrators. Both men were charged with running the scam and impersonating police officers. Both men were also held on $10,000 (2006 USD) bail.

Memorial

On October 21, 2006, family and friends of Michael Briggs and many others gathered at a memorial service held at the Lambert Funeral Home and later at the Merchantsauto.com Stadium

Merchantsauto.com Stadium

Northeast Delta Dental Stadium is a stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire that holds 7,500 people. It is used primarily for baseball, and is the home field of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats minor league baseball team. The first game played at the ballpark was on April 7, 2005, between the New...

after a long funeral procession though the city. Nearly 800-4,000 officers from across the state of New Hampshire were at the memorial service. Flowers and makeshift memorials were left at the police station as a tribute to Michael Briggs. The American Red Cross

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

also attended the memorial service.

The funeral procession and memorial service closed down parts of Elm Street and suspended parking and meter restrictions (although some were reserved for the memorial service).

The Union Leader
New Hampshire Union Leader
The New Hampshire Union Leader is the daily newspaper of Manchester, the largest city in the state of New Hampshire. As of September 2010 it had a daily circulation of 48,342 and the circulation of its Sunday paper, the New Hampshire Sunday News, was 63,991. It was founded in 1863.It was called...

newspaper named Michael Briggs as the New Hampshire Citizen of the year on December 31, 2006

On January 27, 2007, the Manchester Police Department retired the badge number (number 83) of Officer Michael Briggs during a ceremony outside the police station. In addition to the retirement of Michael Briggs' badge number, the police department presented the family the flag that flew over the police station the day of Briggs' death and a plaque that has Briggs' picture on it which hangs on the front lobby of the police department.

On March 20, 2007, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a minor league baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major-league club....

minor league baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

team announced that they will retire the number 83 in honor of Officer Briggs on May 21, 2007. The number will be retired next to the number of Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...

(which is 42). In addition, team members will wear special jerseys carrying the patch of the Manchester Police Department and Officer Briggs' badge number.

In Epsom

Epsom, New Hampshire

, a traffic circle (rotary) was renamed to honor Michael Briggs and Jeremy Charron on June 4, 2007.

Political response

United States Senator John E. Sununu
John E. Sununu
John Edward Sununu is a former Republican United States Senator from New Hampshire, of Lebanese and Palestinian Christian ancestry. Sununu was the youngest member of the Senate for his entire six year term. He is the son of former New Hampshire Governor John H...

of New Hampshire made a statement on October 17 saying, "Our law enforcement officers risk their lives on a daily basis for our safety. Officer Michael Briggs was no stranger to this duty, serving his country and community with bravery and courage until his tragic death." Sununu added, "Kitty and I send our deepest condolences and prayers to his family and are keeping all the members of the Manchester Police Department foremost in our thoughts at this difficult time."

Senator Judd Gregg
Judd Gregg
Judd Alan Gregg is a former Governor of New Hampshire and former United States Senator from New Hampshire, who served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a businessman and attorney in Nashua before entering politics...

said in his news release that he and his wife expressed their condolences to the Briggs family and added that Officer Briggs dedicated his life protecting the nation and community and recognized that the Manchester Police Department had suffered a huge loss in the wake of the shooting.

Governor of New Hampshire
Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...

John Lynch released his statement saying that his and his wife's thoughts and prayers were with the Briggs family and stated that Officer Briggs' courage and commitment set an example to others. He also added that, "The murder of a police officer strikes at the very heart and fabric of our society. And I expect the state will prosecute the person responsible for this heinous and cowardly crime to the fullest extent of the law." Lynch also asked that all American and state flags be lowered to half staff in honor of Michael Briggs. Lynch also stated that he will give Attorney General Kelly Ayotte "full support" in seeking the death penalty for Michael Addison.

The Mayor of Manchester, Frank Guinta
Frank Guinta
Frank Guinta is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire, an alderman, a state representative and a congressional aide.- Early life, education, and business career :...

, extended his condolences to the Briggs family and said, "I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and suffering they are going through at this time." He also extended condolences to the Manchester Police Department, fire department and the residents of Manchester. He asked that all flags be lowered to half staff the day after Briggs' funeral.

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

Congressman Jeb Bradley
Jeb Bradley
Joseph E. "Jeb" Bradley is a Republican member of the New Hampshire State Senate, currently serving as Senate Majority Leader. He represents his hometown of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire and 16 other towns in east-central New Hampshire. He was formerly a U.S...

expressed sympathy for the Briggs family and stated that police officers put their lives on the line every day.

Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte
Kelly Ayotte
Kelly A. Ayotte is the junior United States Senator from New Hampshire and a member of the Republican Party. She earlier served as the Attorney General of New Hampshire.-Early life, education and career:...

stated in an October 18 press release that the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee had approved $450,000 (2006 USD) in order to pursue a capital murder case against Michael Addison. She then stated, “On behalf of all New Hampshire law enforcement, my office, and myself, I express sincere appreciation to the members of the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee for acting so promptly and decisively to ensure that the Attorney General’s Office has the resources necessary to vigorously and effectively prosecute Michael Addison for the murder of Officer Briggs.” Ayotte added, “This action by our legislature demonstrates the commitment of our State to support the men and women of law enforcement who work hard every day to keep our communities safe.”

On March 7, 2007, the New Hampshire state government passed a bill named "Michael's Law" on a 3-0 vote. The bill recommends the state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

to pay $100,000 dollars (USD) to the families of any police officer or fire fighter killed on duty after October 1, 2006 and allows the state to buy insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...

to cover cost benefit payments.

A special commission studying the state's death penalty laws heard on December 4, 2009 that prosecutors in the Addison case ran up a $1.6 million bill and public defenders spent $1.1 million. Costs include forensics testing, expert witnesses, staff and attorney time and other items, Deputy Attorney General Orville "Bud" Fitch told the commission.

Local response

On October 17, 2006, the wife of Michael Briggs released a statement about the loss of Officer Briggs and how Briggs loved his job serving with the Manchester Police Department she also stated that they were touched by the compassion from the community of Manchester and the support from Briggs' fellow police officers.

Gene Robinson
Gene Robinson
Vicki Gene Robinson is the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Robinson was elected bishop in 2003 and entered office in March 2004...

, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , covers the entire state of New Hampshire. It was originally part of the Diocese of Massachusetts, but became independent in 1841. The see city is Concord...

, stated in an article that appeared in the Concord Monitor
Concord Monitor
The Concord Monitor is the daily newspaper for Concord, the state capital of New Hampshire. It also covers substantial portions of surrounding Merrimack and Belknap counties in New Hampshire's Lakes Region...

on October 28 and 29 that the killing of Officer Michael Briggs was a horrible crime but criticized the death penalty case against Michael Addison.

The number of neighborhood watch groups and programs in Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...

quickly rose (14 as of October 2006) in response to Officer Briggs' death.

Members of the New Hampshire Troopers Association expressed their condolences to Briggs wife and children.

Roger Amadon, the chief of the Epsom Police Department
Epsom, New Hampshire
Epsom is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,566 at the 2010 census.-History:Incorporated in 1727, Epsom takes its name from Epsom, England. Although dotted with several small mountains, the land was suitable for grazing and growing grain...

, for which Briggs had worked, stated that the officer's death was unfair.

Media involvement

The shooting, the police dragnet, the capture of the suspect, the time lag until the officer's death, the funeral, the extradition, all the hearings and trials that took place thereafter, to say nothing of the potential for the ultimate punishment have made for high drama for New Hampshire media buffs.

Many local and state news media outlets in New Hampshire and Massachusetts reported the death and memorial of Officer Briggs. Many local newspapers like the New Hampshire Union Leader
New Hampshire Union Leader
The New Hampshire Union Leader is the daily newspaper of Manchester, the largest city in the state of New Hampshire. As of September 2010 it had a daily circulation of 48,342 and the circulation of its Sunday paper, the New Hampshire Sunday News, was 63,991. It was founded in 1863.It was called...

had special coverage of the shooting and memorial on their websites. Other newspapers like the Portsmouth Herald, Boston Globe and the Washington Post also reported on the shooting and memorial of Michael Briggs.

Many television stations in New Hampshire also reported on the shooting and memorial of the fallen officer. One station, WMUR, televised the funeral procession and memorial service on October 21, 2006. However, a court ruling prohibited television and radio stations performing live broadcast of the murder trial (although one camera is allowed) according to a rule started by the New Hampshire Supreme Court

New Hampshire

in 2004. WMUR petitioned that ruling, and on April 13, 2007 another court ruling stated that the pre-trial hearings could be broadcast on television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

on a one hour delay in case something unexpected occurs that cannot be televised. The local television station again petitioned for live, streaming coverage of the trial and the court granted their request over the defense team's objections, while limiting the scope of their coverage.

The shooting also attracted attention from television networks outside of New Hampshire, such as MSNBC

MSNBC

MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

and Fox News, which covered the shooting, trial and memorial on their websites.

New Hampshire Public Radio

New Hampshire Public Radio

New Hampshire Public Radio is a public radio network serving the state of New Hampshire. NHPR is based in Concord and operates seven transmitters and six translators covering nearly the whole state. All signals carry the same programming, which comprises news and talk shows on weekdays and a mix...

also aired coverage of the death of Michael Briggs and the memorial service.

Michael Briggs' memorial was also posted on sites like MySpace

MySpace

Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

and YouTube

YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Michael Briggs

Michael K. Addison

October 16, 2006 Shooting

Extradition and charges

Investigation and further arrests

Trial

Charities

Memorial

Political response

Local response

Media involvement

See also

External links