On March 10, 2014, 34-year-old Ben Shannon, a White male, was fatally shot by law enforcement officers at his mother's home in a Rochester, New Hampshire trailer park. The incident began in the afternoon when three New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation/Parole Officers and a Strafford County Sheriff's Deputy arrived at the residence located at 28 Periwinkle Drive. The officers were there to conduct a home visit for Shannon's brother, Wayne, who was on parole.
They were also aware of an active arrest warrant for Ben Shannon for failing to comply with his bail conditions related to a recent armed robbery charge.
After gaining permission to enter the home from Shannon's mother, Beverly, the officers proceeded to search the trailer. They located Ben Shannon in a back bedroom. According to the official report from the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, a confrontation ensued. Probation and Parole officer Jason Wirth, peering into the darkened bedroom from an adjoining bathroom, reported seeing Shannon raise a dark object that he believed to be a gun. Officers also stated they heard Shannon say something to the effect of "I've got a gun, you'll have to shoot me." In response, Officer Wirth fired his weapon multiple times. Another officer also discharged his firearm.
Ben Shannon was struck by three bullets in his back, upper back, and arm. No firearm was found in his possession, and it is believed he may have been holding a cellphone. He was transported from the scene to Frisbie Memorial Hospital and then airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, where he died later that evening. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be three gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. A toxicology report showed that Shannon's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit to drive.
Following an investigation, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office concluded that the shooting was a legally justified use of deadly force. The report stated that Officer Wirth was justified in his belief that his life was in peril. No criminal charges were filed against any of the officers involved. In response to the shooting and the Attorney General's findings, Ben Shannon's mother and brother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Strafford County Sheriff's Department and the Probation Department. The lawsuit alleged that the officers' actions were the result of negligence and improper police procedures.
