Advocate: Dover police shouldn’t probe own officer in domestic violence case

DOVER – The public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence believes there should be an independent investigation into the assault allegations made against a Dover police officer by his wife.

“I think there’s a really strong call, not only in this case but in cases we’ve seen throughout the state, to ensure there are autonomous and independent investigations in cases where there is any alleged misconduct by police,” Amanda Grady Sexton said Friday.

She said that’s especially important in “cases of domestic assault and sexual assault.”

“I think we need to make sure there’s truly an independent investigative body doing these investigations,” she said.

Grady Sexton stressed the coalition has the “utmost faith in the Strafford County attorney’s office,” which is coordinating with Rollinsford police and Dover police on the investigations.

Sarah Letendre, 34, of Rollinsford, who has been charged with domestic violence, claims her husband, Dover police officer R.J. Letendre, assaulted her on several occasions during the past two years, threatened her and said he would take their two young children.

He has not been charged criminally in connection with her allegations.

Rollinsford police arrested Sarah Letendre late on Friday, July 10 and charged her with domestic violence simple assault and other charges, alleging she assaulted her husband.

But she suffered multiple fractured ribs during the incident, according to medical documents.

Sarah Letendre and her family say her husband, who is also a former mixed martial arts fighter, was the aggressor.

Grady Sexton pointed to the importance of making sure “a police officer isn’t being investigated by the people they are working with on a weekly basis.”

“I think that there would be more trust from the public if this investigation is done outside of the county in which the officer works on a daily basis,” she added.

Asked about Sarah Letendre’s injuries and the fact she was the only person arrested, Grady Sexton talked generally about the need for law enforcement to evaluate the seriousness of the injuries.

“If one party has scratches and the other has multiple broken bones, I think that needs to be taken into consideration,” she said.

Dover City Manager Michael Joyal issued a statement Friday in connection with the case.

He said the officer involved, R.J. Letendre, “remains on paid leave at this time” and noted the police department is conducting an internal investigation into his conduct.

In Joyal’s statement, he also said, “the internal investigation initiated by the police chief is being undertaken in accordance with established department policy and is consistent with law enforcement best practice as well as the police department’s own well established and nationally accredited personnel procedures.”

“I have complete confidence that the chief will ensure that the internal investigation will seek to ascertain the facts from all involved,” Joyal said.

In addition, Joyal said Police Chief William Breault “has requested that once completed, a review of the department’s internal investigation will also be conducted by an independent third party not associated with the Dover Police Department.”

Joyal released the statement because he “just wanted to reinforce to the city councilors and the public we take the allegations very seriously,” he said Friday.

“Our investigation is in connection with the conduct of the officer, and given that allegations of improper and criminal activity may have occurred, we will be investigating that,” Joyal said. “If charges are warranted, we will take our lead from that information.”

Asked about Sarah Letendre’s allegations, Joyal said, “We take any allegation seriously and particularly when it comes to domestic violence. Dover has been a leader in that area for decades and has zero tolerance for it.”

Joyal said he does not know yet who will be doing the third party investigation, but the results will be released to the public, he said.

He said he doesn’t know if the internal investigation will be released, saying that depends on what is allowed under the state’s Right to Know law.

Asked about calls for an initial independent investigation into R.J. Letendre’s alleged conduct that doesn’t involve Dover police, Joyal said, “If there’s alleged criminal activity, law enforcement and prosecutors need to follow through to ensure there’s due process.”

State Rep. Sherry Frost, D-Dover, agreed with Grady Sexton’s assertion there should “absolutely be an independent investigation into the case.”

“Police should not be investigating themselves,” she said Friday.

One of Sarah Letendre’s attorneys on Friday filed a request to reimpose a protective order against R.J. Letendre.

Her attorney, Michelle Wangerin, said her client was assaulted last weekend “after enduring months of escalating violence” by R.J. Letendre.

After he allegedly assaulted his wife, he then “worked with the Rollinsford Police Department to initiate and pursue criminal charges” against her, Wangerin stated in the motion.

Dover District Court issued a protection order at the beginning of the week against Sarah Letendre at around the same time the Ossipee District Court issued a protection order against R.J. Letendre, according to court papers.

The Ossipee Court then later rescinded its temporary protection order against R.J. Letendre because of the two conflicting orders.

Wangerin’s motion asks the court to reinstate the protective order against R.J. Letendre.

“A review of the underlying facts in the parties’ respective domestic violence petitions would lead a reasonable factfinder to conclude that Mr. Letendre was the predominant aggressor and that Ms. Letendre’s injuries far exceeded any injuries alleged by her husband,” Wangerin said in the motion.

If you need help

Seacoast Media Group provides the following information as a public service with no presumption of guilt or innocence in the case reported above:

If you need support, Haven has trained confidential advocates available to aid those affected by domestic and sexual violence. The 24-hour hotline is (603) 994-SAFE (7233). You can also connect to Haven’s confidential, online chat service Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. by clicking the Chat Now button at https://havennh.org.