MANCHESTER — Friday night's 177th graduation of the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Academy could have ended in a mass shooting if Noah Beaulieu had his way, according to state police.
Beaulieu, 24, whom Laconia police hired and sent to the Academy, encouraged fellow recruits to participate in a suicide pact, according to claims made in an affidavit filed Thursday by New Hampshire State Police. Troopers arrested him Wednesday.
According to state police, Beaulieu told a fellow recruit “All it would take was one shot fired in the air and all the crossfire from responding officers would be what killed everyone.”
At another point, he asked a recruit "to participate in a suicide pact in which after all the recruits finished graduating they would pull out their guns and kill themselves."
Beaulieu was arraigned on paper Thursday in Merrimack County Superior Court and was scheduled to undergo a mental health evaluation later in the day. He's due back in court Friday morning. A judge also ordered state police to seize any firearms he owns.
Beaulieu is an honorably-discharged veteran having served three years in U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, said his lawyer, Mark Sisti. The lawyer said his client has no history of mental health issues.
"My client never intended in any way shape or form to terrorize anyone,” Sisti said. He said Beaulieu wants to complete the mental health evaluation and confront his accusers as quickly as possible.
Beaulieu faces two criminal threatening charges, one of which carries an enhanced penalty that could result in a prison sentence.
According to state police, Beaulieu's remarks were shared with five fellow recruits. He told one he would end up the subject of a movie once he became a serial killer. He told another he would bring in a machine gun with 30 magazines. He told another not to worry because he would only aim for those in uniform and not family members.
Beaulieu had already undergone six weeks of in-house training with Laconia police, completed some field training and was set to graduate on Friday after 16-weeks of training from the police academy.
As in the case with all of Laconia Police Department’s recruits, Beaulieu underwent an in-depth background investigation that included interviews with family, friends and associates from elementary school through high school.
The department also spoke with his commanding officer in the Army and his roommates. All provided "glowing recommendations,” according to Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield.
Part of the hiring process includes a behavioral assessment and written exams that are evaluated by a psychologist.
“Nothing came up, he was deemed a low risk,” said Canfield. “There was zero indication of this type of behavior.”
Canfield said he was glad that Beaulieu's behavior arose before he was out on the street policing.
Beaulieu was taken into custody Wednesday by state police who stopped his vehicle I-93 in Concord while he was driving to Laconia to speak with Chief Canfield. Beaulieu was immediately suspended, stripped of his police powers, badge and gun.
“We didn’t want to bring that threat into the police department so it was decided that it was best to arrest him during a motor vehicle stop,” Canfield said.
