LITCHFIELD, N.H. (AP) – A local man says a police officer beat him up during a domestic arrest even though he wasn’t struggling.
In court papers, contractor Timothy Keddie disputes police reports that he resisted arrest during a domestic call last year and elbowed Officer Russell Hartley in the chest. Keddie is appealing his conviction on resisting and assaulting the officer. The domestic assault charge involving his wife was dismissed.
Keddie said he was the one who was assaulted. According to court papers, Keddie said he was obeying Hartley’s orders when the officer lunged at him, beat him with a night stick, hit him repeatedly in the face, then pepper-sprayed him in the eye after he was handcuffed.
Hartley declined to comment on the accusations. He and another officer got in trouble earlier this year after pulling a prank on Litchfield firefighters. Both officers were suspended for vandalizing the fire station by throwing food and drinks on the floor and carpet, writing insulting messages on a whiteboard and taping a nasty note about the fire chief to a cookie jar.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
