Franklin police chief David Goldstein wasn’t worried a heavy snowstorm may impede the manhunt for Ryan Brouillard, who has been on the run since early Wednesday morning.
Of Franklin’s 21 police officers, two are dedicated explicitly to finding Brouillard, although the chief said “everyone, really” is assigned to the case.
Police identified Brouillard, 33, of 21 Pleasant St., as the main suspect in a domestic altercation at 2:15 a.m. Wednesday. When police arrived, Brouillard fired a gun and fled the scene on foot, police said. Details about the initial incident have not been released.
The snow, which started mid-Thursday and was predicted to drop anywhere from 6 to 16 inches by today, will have some effect. Goldstein said the state’s helicopters would not be used during the storm as they were Wednesday, and said if car crashes and other weather-related incidents spike, more resources could be redirected from the search.
“I was thinking about that today, how when incidents like this happen, there’s still other people who need police services,” he said. “If there are other issues happening, and the state police need to be on the highway, I absolutely understand that.”
Brouillard is described as a white male, 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 250 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue hoodie, according to Franklin police. A warrant for Brouillard was issued earlier this month for a parole violation stemming from a motor vehicle violation.
The search area extended from Cross Mill Road in Northfield, across the Pemigewasset River, to Thunder Road in Franklin, and included efforts from N.H. State Police’s helicopter and K-9 units, as well as several local police stations.
Goldstein said his department is still deeply involved in the search, and is currently assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as state police. Each department will bring its own set of skills to the search, Goldstein said.
He doubted the ongoing efforts to find Brouillard would again include K-9 units, not because they aren’t good in the snow, but because police were confident of where the scent trail ended on Wednesday. Police dogs were able to track Brouillard to a group of abandoned structures located behind a car wash on Central Street in Northfield, Goldstein said. He said Brouillard could have ended the trail by meeting someone and getting a ride.
Goldstein was also confident his officers, as well as the state and federal officers, would be able to multitask if need be. That includes following up on any tips received, whether it’s through the department’s anonymous Crimeline service, emails or social media. And no matter how implausible they may be, “We have to follow every lead,” Goldstein said.
Of the tips received yesterday, a few were texted or emailed, and the department received two phone calls, one of which may have merit. And although social media has helped spread word of the search for Brouillard, it has also spread misinformation. Goldstein said on Tuesday he received a text from Franklin’s mayor, Ken Merrifield, congratulating him on bringing Brouillard in, which was not the case.
“When people talk about things that aren’t true, or post their opinion, that doesn’t help us,” he said.
The department’s Facebook page posted about Brouillard’s active warrant on Dec. 22, but otherwise did not post about the situation until about 3 p.m. Thursday. The post reads: “on behalf of law enforcement and concerned citizens we sincerely ask that you turn yourself in peacefully. This need not continue further. You need to think about those who care about you and the safety of yourself and others. Consider your child and the lasting affect it may have.”
The post had gathered 16 comments and 170 shares an hour after it was made.
Franklin’s Detective Sgt. Ralph Hale, who manages the page, said police did not have the chance to update the page with news of the incident because everyone was involved in the search. But that doesn’t mean social media won’t be factor in this case, Hale said; while he said he couldn’t comment on an ongoing investigation, Facebook in particular has been useful for solving crimes in the past.
Perhaps most notable was a kidnapping and murder case in 2011, when three people with ties to New Hampshire killed New Jersey man Epifanio Medina and dumped his body in the woods of Salem, N.Y. Hale said the department had heard rumors that two of the suspects were bragging about being involved in the case; one suspect was caught after posting an image of himself wearing the victim’s jewelry and holding a wad of cash on Facebook. The three have since received various prison sentences ranging from six years to 25 to life.
There have been smaller victories, such as identifying a thief who stole a woman’s purse 15 minutes after the department posted an image of the suspect on Facebook, Hale said. Most tips come in through the website’s messaging system, and people usually request to be anonymous when giving tips. They also take note of who comments on posts, and use that information to build “social contacts” – friends and partners who might be able to communicate with suspects.
“It’s great because a lot of information is coming to us instead of us going out to find it,” Hale said.