Londonderry resident indicted for threatening Belmont officers with crossbow

Justin A. Spirko, charged in an April SWAT incident in Belmont, was indicted by a Belknap County grand jury for allegedly firing a crossbow toward a building.

Spirko, 38, of Londonderry, was arrested by police in Belmont around 8 a.m. on April 7 and initially charged with threatening officers, reckless conduct, criminal mischief and resisting arrest during the service of a warrant.

Spirko will be arraigned on charges stemming from the indictment including reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, criminal threatening against a person, resisting arrest or detention and stalking on Friday, Aug. 2, at Belknap County Superior Court in Laconia. 

According to the indictment handed down by a Belknap County grand jury, Spirko allegedly shot a crossbow bolt into a wall in the direction of a public roadway, which placed or could have placed another in danger of serious bodily injury.

Possessing said crossbow apparently violated a stalking order issued by the Ninth Circuit Court Nashua District Division in June 2023, according to the State of New Hampshire complaint filed. Another complaint alleges Spirko physically interfered with members of the Belknap Regional Special Operations Group by pulling his arms away when officers attempted to place him under arrest.

The complaint against Spirko regarding criminal threatening alleges he threatened to murder Belmont Police Department Officer Luis Aris.

“I will kill you for trying to arrest me,” Spirko allegedly told Arias, according to that complaint. 

In recommending Spirko be held on preventive detention without bail, the state argued Spirko has a lengthy criminal record, significant suspended time against him, and he allegedly used the crossbow in an attempt to prevent officers from taking him into custody.

During the incident in April, residents were asked to remain inside their houses in the area of Linda Drive while police and the SWAT team of the Belknap Special Operations Group apprehended Spirko. 

Belmont police arrived in the area of Linda Drive in order to serve warrants there around 7 a.m. No officers were injured in apprehending Spirko and the all-clear was given to neighborhood residents around 9:40 a.m.