By Kyle Stucker
SEABROOK — The criminal
investigation is progressing against three Seabrook police officers accused of
excessive force and brutality, although prosecutors say its too soon to tell if
there will be formal charges or when additional court proceedings will be
scheduled.
New Hampshire Senior Assistant
Attorney General Jane Young said the case "does continue to be worked on
actively" and that investigators have conducted interviews "weekly,
if not a couple times a week" since alleged police brutality victim
Michael Bergeron Jr. appeared in court in January in connection to a separate
criminal matter.
"We certainly have been
investigating this case for a number of weeks, but to predict when it will be
done at this point, that's not something I can do," said Young, whose
office is jointly investigating the incident with the FBI and the United States
Attorney General's Office.
Bergeron, 23, of Seabrook,
accused three Seabrook Police Department officers of brutality after he posted
surveillance video of a 2009 driving while intoxicated arrest on YouTube.
Bergeron has claimed that he has lasting injuries due to the alleged brutality.
The video — which is dated Nov.
11, 2009, but wasn't posted online until Jan. 6 of this year — shows an officer
slamming a handcuffed Bergeron into the wall of the police station's cell block
before another officer laughs while pepper spraying the then-19 year old while
he's on the ground.
Officers Keith Dietenhofer,
Adam Laurent and Mark Richardson were placed on paid administrative leave
pending the investigation into their conduct. Scott Gleason, Bergeron's
attorney, has stated that his client is seeking "justice" for actions
that were "barbaric" and "beyond despicable."
Gleason couldn't be reached for
additional comment this week.
Young said no public motions or
other court documents have been filed since Bergeron's arrest report was made
public in early January. She said she couldn't confirm whether any filings have
been made under seal.
Bergeron has been arrested more
than 10 times on the Seacoast since 2007, according to court documents. The
charges range over the years from tobacco possession to receiving stolen
property, disorderly conduct, second-degree assault and burglary.
He appeared in Seabrook
District Court on Jan. 15 in connection to a Class A misdemeanor count of
simple assault, and he is scheduled for trial in that matter on April 23.
Bergeron is also scheduled for a final pretrial hearing in Rockingham Superior
Court at 8:30 a.m. on April 3 in connection to burglary charges.
Bergeron was also indicted in
February on a Class B felony count of burglary for allegedly breaking into a
Hampton home with an accomplice in August. No court appearances or trials have
yet been scheduled in connection to that indictment, according to court staff.