Officer injured in fatal traffic stop shooting in Ashland released from hospital

The injured Ashland Police officer involved in a fatal shooting Monday evening has been released from the hospital, and the town department is ensuring proper mental health avenues are provided for the injured officer, and any others affected.

“No stone will go unturned for their health and wellness,” Chief William Ulwick said Wednesday morning.

According to the state Attorney General’s Office, a man, identified Wednesday as Demitri Zimmer, 24, allegedly pulled out a gun during a traffic stop just after 7 p.m. on April 20, exchanged gunfire with an Ashland officer, and was shot and killed by police. One officer suffered a gunshot wound, and was taken to Concord Hospital-Concord to be treated, and has since been released.

It is unclear why Zimmer, of Laconia, was stopped by police.

Ulwick said Tuesday the officer was going to be OK, and had non-life-threatening injuries. Later that evening, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said the officer had been released.

The injured officer has not been named, pending an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office. Ulwick said there were two officers at the traffic stop before the shooting.

Just after 7 p.m. on April 20, gunshots could be heard throughout the small town of Ashland, and shortly after, a section of Main Street near the fire station became a crime scene blocked off by police tape.

Ashland Police and Fire vehicles, as well as an ambulance, could be seen just north of the fire station, with emergency lights flashing. Anyone driving up Mill Street to the intersection of Main Street was turned around by firefighters. The State Police Major Crimes Unit was also on scene.

Residents in the area stood outside their homes on Monday night, wondering what happened, and hoping for the best. They watched as officers and first responders moved around the area, with lights flashing for the next couple of hours.

Jamie Norton, a resident who lives near where the shooting took place, said it was nerve wracking to know this happened so close to her home. She had heard it involved a police officer being shot, and was hoping the officer had a quick recovery.

“Our police department is amazing here,” said Norton, who has lived in Ashland for the past four years.

Peer support

A police shooting can lead to a number of traumas, both physical and mental, and Ulwick said his department is prepared to offer services to help.

Ulwick and Lt. Nicholas Raymond are team leads for the Lakes Region Critical Incident Stress Management team and the Peer Support team, and are also the president and vice president of the Responders Together NH officer wellness group.

Ulwick said they have an abundance of resources already set up for Ashland officers affected by the shooting.

“We have an unbelievable number of resources available, and are already in use, for these officers to get them the assistance they need,” Ulwick said.

Thin blue line

Neighboring police departments have issued comments of solidarity and support for Ashland Police on social media. Plymouth Police Department is located just a few miles north, and posted a message of support for the department and the officer wounded in the line of duty.

“We’re keeping him, his family, and his fellow officers in our hearts, and wishing him a strong and speedy recovery,” Plymouth Police posted on Facebook Tuesday morning.

The Meredith Police Association also posted Tuesday, extending thoughts, prayers, and support to the injured officer and the entire department.

“We are especially praying for a full and speedy recovery for the officer involved,” the Facebook post stated. “During this difficult time, we stand in support of our fellow officers and recognize the courage, strength, and dedication it takes to put on the uniform each and every day.”

Sanbornton Police Department also sent public sentiments, saying they were standing with the department and their families as they go through a “difficult time.”

“The men and women of the Sanbornton Police Department are sending our thoughts and prayers to the Ashland Police officer that was injured in the line of duty,” the department posted on Facebook.

Northfield shooting

This is the second police shooting in the Lakes Region this month. Northfield Police Officer Nikolas Ballentine shot and killed 27-year-old Megan Whiting on April 6, during a domestic disturbance call.

Officers from Northfield and Tilton went to an apartment on Vine Street just after midnight for a report of a domestic disturbance, where an adult female resident had allegedly hit another resident with a fire extinguisher.

Arriving officers found Whiting with a knife close to an injured female resident, told her more than once to drop the weapon, and then Ballentine shot her, according to a report from the Attorney General’s Office. Whiting died at the scene, and no police or other citizens were physically injured.

In both cases, the officers involved in the shootings have been put on paid leave pending the outcome of investigations by the Attorney General’s Office.

Preparing for duty

In Ashland and Northfield, officers are issued tasers. Northfield Police Chief Mark Lewandoski said their use depends a lot on timing. If there is time to deploy the taser, most of the time that would be what occurs. That isn’t always the case.

“If the timeframe doesn’t allow for that, it doesn’t allow for that, depending on the critical nature of the event,” Lewandoski told The Daily Sun on April 17, when Ballentine was identified as the officer involved in the shooting.

On Wednesday, Ulwick said every officer in Ashland is issued a taser, and they can be used any time the officer deems appropriate.

“At any time, should deadly force be presented, an officer can bypass other tools to meet force with the appropriate amount of force, and scenarios will dictate the transitioning from one to another, bypassing one tool for another and/or going up or down the spectrum of the different tool options,” Ulwick said. “If video of this incident should ever be released, the facts will show why certain options are used.”

The Attorney General’s Office is leading the investigation, and is determining if officers had body cameras, or if cruiser camera footage is available.

The names of the officers involved in the Ashland shooting are being withheld until formal interviews are conducted.