CONCORD – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire is providing the public with additional information about an incident that took place on May 26, 2021, in Manchester.
On May 26, 2021, Deputy United States Marshals sought to arrest Benjamin Bennett, 41, of Concord at a location in Manchester.
Bennett was the subject of a federal arrest warrant that was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Hampshire State Police, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force. He had been charged in a sealed complaint with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
The complaint, which has now been unsealed, alleged that on March 4, 2021, Bennett was driving a vehicle that was stopped by the New Hampshire State Police in the Littleton area. Bennett was arrested for operating without a license and being a habitual offender. A later search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of distributable quantities of suspected methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl.
When approached by Deputy Marshals on May 26, 2021, Bennett is believed to have fired a weapon at the Deputy Marshals. Representatives of the Manchester Police Department and other law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. Law enforcement officers later found Bennett dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“This matter demonstrates the dangers that our brave federal, state, and local law enforcement colleagues face each day,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley. “I am grateful to the Manchester Police, the United States Marshals Service, and all of the other law enforcement agencies who responded and assisted in this matter. Thanks to their professionalism and caution, no civilians or members of law enforcement officers were harmed during this incident.”
In addition to the United States Marshals Service and the Manchester Police Department, the following agencies also assisted in responding to this incident: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Nashua Police Department, Manchester Fire Department and American Medical Response.
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