An investigation by the N.H. Attorney General’s Office into allegations against a former Winchester police officer found probable cause to bring a charge of witness tampering against him, according to a news release Friday afternoon. However, the office concluded it would have difficulty prevailing in trial, the release says.

The Attorney General’s Office reached an agreement with Josh Edson in which he resigned and surrendered his police certification earlier this month.

He also agreed not to contest his placement on the Exculpatory Evidence Schedule — more commonly known as the Laurie List — which contains officers with potential credibility issues, the release states.

Under these conditions, the Attorney General’s Office says it will not bring any charges against Edson. The office did not elaborate on the allegations against him and was not reachable by phone Friday afternoon for more information. Edson’s attorney, Eric Wilson, declined to comment.

Friday’s announcement comes one day after the Winchester selectboard held its second public hearing to discuss Police Chief Erik Josephson’s request to fire another officer — Lt. James Fisher — for reasons apparently related to Edson’s case.

Testimony at Thursday’s session and a previous session on Feb. 10 circled around whether Fisher lied to town officials about the reason for putting an officer — referred to only as Officer X — on paid leave and how much information he should have given them about allegations that had been made against the officer.

At one point Thursday, Fisher referred to Officer X as “Officer Edson” before correcting himself.

Fisher has maintained that he could not share more details with town officials about the allegations without compromising the investigation by the Attorney General’s Office.

Fisher first became aware of the allegations in late June, according to a statement his attorney Joseph Hoppock sent The Sentinel on Friday. Fisher said he immediately referred the issue to the County Attorney and State Police, who in turn referred it to the Attorney General’s Office.

In the statement, Fisher said he was following protocols and “specific instructions” from the Attorney General’s Office by not sharing details of the allegations with the town. He adds that he stands by his actions “1,000%.”

Before resigning Feb. 11, Edson had been employed at the department since July 2018.

The Attorney General’s Office said in Friday’s release that it was notified of an allegation involving Edson on July 2.

The office will keep Edson’s file open for three years while monitoring his adherence to the agreement, the release says. At that point, if Edson has abided by the conditions laid out, the file will close and no further action will be taken.

The release cites “the defenses available to Edson” in describing the difficulty of a case against him prevailing in trial. The release did not detail what those defenses are.

The Winchester selectboard has not yet made a decision regarding Fisher’s employment.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.

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