Father and son arrested in connection with NH shooting
Police say it was a minor drug deal that turned into a violent crime. Now, a father and son are accused of dealing drugs, and the son is accused of shooting two people. The men were hauled into court Thursday.
According to court testimony, the incident was over a small amount of THC. It's not clear if it was marijuana or oil. What is clear is that two people got shot.
Police say Jordan Richardson, 18, of Goshen, New Hampshire, pulled the trigger. It happened over the weekend in broad daylight on Oak Street in Newport, New Hampshire. Investigators say Jordan Richardson and his father, Kurt Richardson, 41, also of Goshen, went to the area to sell THC, found in cannabis, to a group of juveniles. But the kids took off without paying. A car chase ensued. After the father and son tracked down the other vehicle, police say Jordan Richardson got out armed with a pistol.
"He went out of the vehicle to recover the drugs. An altercation ensued and he shot one man, nearly killing him," Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway said.
Jordan Richardson faces felony gun and assault charges. But his attorney paints a different picture. He says his client fired in self-defense.
"Three guys tried to rip off one guy, according to the state, and then there was a confrontation about that and as one person is being beat, he defends himself," defense attorney Richard Guerriero said.
Police originally only said one person was injured from the gunshot. That person was last listed in stable condition. But Thursday in court we learned that another person was grazed by a second shot.
The prosecution asked that the father and son be held without bail.
"Two individuals received gunshots wounds as a result of that and from the state's perspective, that's important and serious," Hathaway said.
But despite that argument, both men were released on $10,000 personal recognizance bail. If convicted, Kurt Richardson faces 3-7 years behind bars; Jordan Richardson faces the possibility of 7-15 years.
