In the span of three days, two people died in separate encounters with law enforcement in New Hampshire โ the first fatalities of their kind in the state this year.ย
One person was killed by police gunfire; the other died from a self-inflicted wound.
On Monday, in Northfield, Megan Whiting, 27, was shot and killed by officers inside her apartment after police responded to a domestic disturbance call.ย
Authorities said she was armed with a knife at the time of the shooting.
On Saturday in Raymond, Matthew Masse, 38, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a police shootout that followed an hours-long manhunt.
The attorney generalโs office has launched investigations into both incidents. The names of the law enforcement officers involved are being withheld until formal interviews are conducted, which is standard practice.
Northfield
Whitingโs death in Northfield represents a rare occurrence. Data from the attorney generalโs office over the years show very few officer-involved shootings where a female is shot, regardless of whether or not she survives.
At 12:12 a.m. on Monday, Northfield and Tilton police officers responded to a call from 20 Vine Street, where the caller reported that an adult female resident identified as Whiting was striking the callerโs girlfriend with a fire extinguisher.
Whiting was throwing objects and had broken a window, and the caller urged police to respond quickly, according to the attorney generalโs office.ย
Dispatchers also reported hearing yelling in the background of the call.
When officers entered the doorway of the apartment, six minutes after the 911 call, they observed Whiting armed with a knife and standing near an injured female resident.
Authorities said police repeatedly ordered Whiting to drop her knife. One officer fired at Whiting, and she died on the scene.
Autopsy results show that she died from multiple gunshot wounds. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Whitingโs death a homicide.
Police were able to safely remove the injured resident from the apartment and secure the knife, the attorney generalโs office said in a statement.ย
No officers were reported injured during the incident.ย Authorities noted that one of the initial responding officers was equipped with a body camera.
Raymond
Masseโs death by a self-inflicted fatal gunshot wound, by contrast, is not uncommon in officer-involved incidents. There have been previous cases in New Hampshire where individuals have taken their own lives during police confrontations.
On Saturday, after 1:30 p.m., law enforcement responded to a call that reported Masse was shooting a rifle at his family members in a home on Ham Road, according the attorney generalโs office.ย
During the initial response, Masse shot and wounded a Nottingham police officer, who has since been discharged from the hospital.
Masse then fled into the surrounding woods.
After an hours-long search and shelter-in-place advisory, officers made contact with Masse around 10:06 p.m. and attempted to arrest him, which resulted in a shootout.ย
Law enforcement then approached Masse and found him dead, according to the attorney generalโs office.
An autopsy conducted Monday morning found that Masse shot himself in the chin. His death was ruled a suicide by the chief medical examinerโs office, according to the attorney generalโs office. His left elbow was also injured by shrapnel.
Warrants had been issued for Masseโs arrest following an incident two days earlier, according to reporting by NHPR. Police hadnโt located him until they responded to the call on Saturday.
Family members told WMUR that Masse struggled with his mental health.
