Police ID woman shot by police on Monday in Northfield

NORTHFIELD — Megan L. Whiting, 27, was identified by the Attorney General's Office as the person who died early Monday morning after being shot by police. According to a report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Whiting died from multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was homicide.

Homicide, as used by that office, is defined as the killing of one person by another. 

Northfield and Tilton police officers responded to a 911 call from an apartment at 20 Vine Street at about 12:12 a.m. on April 6, after receiving a report about a domestic disturbance, and one adult female resident allegedly struck another resident with a fire extinguisher.

The caller told dispatchers the female resident — later identified as Whiting — was striking the caller’s girlfriend, smashing objects and breaking a window, and told police to hurry there. Dispatchers heard yelling in the background on the phone call, a New Hampshire Department of Justice release indicates.

Officers from Northfield and Tilton arrived approximately six minutes later and, entering through the doorway to the apartment, apparently observed Whiting wielding a knife, close to an injured female resident. Police “repeatedly” instructed Whiting to drop her knife. One officer shot Whiting. The Attorney General’s Office typically, and as a matter of policy, does not identify officers involved in such shootings until after formal interviews are conducted.

After Whiting was shot, officers took the injured female out of the apartment, and the knife from Whiting. It was later determined Whiting died at the scene.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on Monday afternoon, and determined Whiting’s cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of her death was homicide.

State Department of Justice spokesperson Michael Garrity did not respond to questions regarding State Police involvement in the investigation, though, in a public statement, the DOJ wrote that one of the initial responding officers was wearing a body camera at the scene.

No police or other private citizens were physically injured in the incident.