Disciplinary measures against officers following manhunt involving homeless man

MANCHESTER, NH – Four officers involved in an August incident in which they told a homeless man they would give him a head start in a game of “manhunt” have been disciplined for violating Manchester Police’s internal procedural standards.

The names of the officers and the disciplinary action imposed were not disclosed in a joint press release from Manchester police and Mayor Jay Ruais on Tuesday. Manchester Ink Link had requested the information, but the reporter was instructed to file a 91A (right-to-know) request for more information. Ink Link did so.

In the press release, Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said he takes full responsibility for the officers' actions.

“I also have a responsibility to address their behavior to make them better police officers. I am fully confident that the officers involved have learned a lot from this incident and I am confident that this behavior will not be repeated,” he said.

Ruais thanked the boss for his quick intervention to resolve the problem and supported the boss’s disciplinary decisions.

“As I have said before, we must address the issue of homelessness comprehensively, which is why we have already implemented 14 different initiatives to that end. Enforcement of our laws and regulations is a critical part of this and must always be done compassionately and empathetically, with the ultimate goal of connecting individuals with resources and breaking the cycle of homelessness. If an individual in this city wants and needs help, it is available, but we cannot tolerate unlawful behavior and I will continue to support Manchester Police in their job,” Ruais said.

Caitlyn Reilly, who lives at The Flats, 235 Hanover St., filmed the incident, which occurred in the alley behind her apartment building around 10:50 p.m. on August 12, 2024. Reilly said there were two patrol cars and a motorcycle officer on the scene, although only one of the patrol cars is visible on the video.

She was in her living room that evening when she heard a loud noise and looked out the window to see what was going on.

The video shows three police officers, one on a motorcycle, confronting the man. One officer said they saw him defecating against the building. The man denies this. At least one officer knows the man because he calls him by his first name and tells him to go back to Rochester.

“You don't care about your kids… you don't care about your kids… because you'd rather shoot yourself in a damn alley than be a damn father,” an officer tells him.

Another says, “I bet $100 on my damn paycheck that I'll see you tomorrow.”

An officer admonishes the man and tells him that if he cared about his children, “you would be home with them right now, not shooting yourself up in a damn dumpster.”

And a policeman tells him: “If I see you again tonight, you will be arrested. So you better hide somewhere.”

Then an officer tells him that a manhunt is underway.

“We're playing a game of manhunt. I'm giving you a 20 minute head start and if I see you again, you're going to jail.”

The officer begins the countdown: One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi. A second officer in a patrol car turns on the loudspeaker and begins the countdown again, starting with One Mississippi. One officer signals the other officer over the loudspeaker, instructing him to say, “Whether you're ready or not, we're coming.”

After the man runs away, the officers finish their countdown and then laugh together about the incident. One officer says they drove down the alley and saw the man “pooping.”

As they talk, one of the officers looks up and sees Reilly looking down at them from her apartment window.

“I heard the language through the megaphone of a police car – and I wanted to check it out,” she said. “When I realized it was three police officers against one man and they were using less than professional language – maybe after 20 seconds – I knew this was something that should be documented.”

Reilly got her phone and started recording. When an officer saw her, she continued. Reilly provided the recording to Ink Link.

“Excuse me, someone tried to poop on the side of the building. We just wanted him to stop,” the officer calls out to her.

“It happens,” Reilly replies. “The counting was a little weird.”

“We tried to get him to stop before we arrested him,” an officer tells her.

“Yes, but making a game out of it is kind of weird,” she says.

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry,” says an officer and everyone leaves.

In the press release, officials say the city faces numerous challenges related to homelessness. The MPD is on the front lines of this issue and “officers have frequently been called to situations where homeless people have been involved in various types of criminal activity – violent assaults, thefts, illegal drug use, disturbances in the city's parks, streets and alleys. In each call, officers try to handle these cases with professionalism and compassion for the homeless and drug addicted. However, in this particular incident, some of the officers allowed their frustration and emotions to get the better of them, ultimately damaging both their own reputation and that of the Manchester Police Department.”

According to the officers, the officers “successfully prevented criminal activity by stopping a homeless man from defecating in an alley and injecting illegal drugs. They demonstrated compassion and discretion by not making an arrest. However, this incident is unfortunately overshadowed by the choice of words used by some officers while on duty and their overall demeanor. Rather than being remembered for their positive actions, the unprofessional nature of their comments overshadowed their intentions and accomplishments. Although actions should speak louder than words, in this case the inappropriate content and manner in which some comments were delivered completely overshadowed the officers' efforts.”

Police said the man involved in the incident was arrested earlier that day while attempting to inject heroin in a city park during daylight hours.

Later that same day, officers found him in the alley “where he was preparing to do it again. The repeated interactions with the same individuals for similar offenses clearly resulted in some officers behaving less than professionally during this encounter.

Even the officers admit that such behavior is unacceptable. The community deserves higher standards from its police officers. Regardless of their frustrations, police officers are expected to conduct themselves like professionals.”

Manchester Ink Link has reached out to Reilly for comment but has not yet received a response.