Peterborough teen due in court Wednesday in case of alleged threatening at gunpoint on State School grounds

LACONIA — A Peterborough resident accused of threatening people with guns is scheduled to appear in Laconia District Court on Wednesday, after the court found probable cause he committed a pair of felonies.

Isaiah Rousseau, who turned 19 on Sept. 10, is charged with criminal threatening with a deadly weapon and felony use of body armor after an incident at the former Laconia State School on Sept. 7.

Judge Christopher Keating found probable cause the crimes were committed, after the reading of charges on Sept. 8, in Laconia District Court. He ordered Rousseau be detained in Belknap County Jail pending trial.

According to a sworn affidavit from Officer Jonathan Milne, at about 5:52 p.m. on Sept. 7, police were dispatched to Right Way Path after a caller reported two friends were taken hostage by a man with a gun. The caller said they were in the woods near the Spaulding Building.

Officers contacted two people involved, aged 18 and 19, who reported another 18-year-old friend ran back to the group of them and said Rousseau was fighting with a 37-year-old man identified in the affidavit as a “victim.”

Officers called the victim, who said he had been held at gunpoint. The victim said his truck was parked off the road near the Spaulding Building, and he was walking to the truck and saw a “kid,” later identified as Rousseau, going through it.

The victim said Rousseau was wearing what looked like body armor, and had a rifle slung around his chest, as well as a pistol near his right hip. The victim allegedly confronted Rousseau, and asked what he was doing. Rousseau then allegedly unholstered the pistol and pointed it at the victim.

The victim told police he lunged at Rousseau to defend himself, tackling him to the ground, and removed Rousseau’s bulletproof vest and put it in his truck.

Police contacted Rousseau and detained him. He was taken to the police department for questioning. Rousseau allegedly told police he'd gone to the prison grounds with six friends, wearing body armor with several pistol and rifle magazines, a Glock 43x pistol in a pouch, and a Smith & Wesson rifle slung around his chest.

Rousseau said the pistol was loaded and a round was in the chamber. He said the rifle had a magazine in it, but no round in the chamber. He couldn’t give police any “logical reason” why he was walking around like this.

Rousseau allegedly told police he came across the truck, and denied being inside the vehicle. He later admitted he went through the truck, saying he opened the driver-side door and folded the seat forward to look through it.

“Rousseau advised his intentions weren’t to steal anything and that he was just ‘checking it out,’” the affidavit stated.

Rousseau told police the truck’s owner came around the corner and yelled something like, “What are you doing?” This startled him, and he said the victim came at him being “aggressive” while yelling. Rousseau allegedly said he started walking away, and holding the rifle with both hands. When the victim approached him and started shoving him, Rousseau said the victim grabbed the rifle and tackled him to the ground.

Rousseau reportedly said he was reaching to unholster the pistol, but the victim was on top of him, grabbing it. He said the victim had him in a headlock, and fought and disarmed him. Rousseau allegedly said the victim put the rifle and vest in the back of his truck, and he believed the victim took his pistol and put it in his back pocket.

Rousseau then allegedly got up and grabbed his rifle from the truck bed and took off.

Officers spoke with a witness, who said the victim yelled at Rousseau about being in the truck. The witness said the victim then accused Rousseau of pointing the gun at him, and the victim threatened to call police. The witness then allegedly ran off to the group of friends, “frantic,” telling them to call the police.

Another witness told police a group of them were looking around the victim’s truck. This witness told police he left the area before the fight, but returned to the area looking for Rousseau. There, he saw Rousseau with three others, including the victim, yelling before taking off running. This witness returned shortly after looking for Rousseau. They didn’t see him, and heard someone saying, “looking down the barrel of a gun,” before running off and calling police.

Police arrested Rousseau, who was in Belknap County Jail before his court appearance Tuesday.

Chief Matt Canfield said the reported hostage situation is still under investigation.

Rousseau is scheduled to appear in Laconia District Court at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, for a probable cause hearing.