Still no report released on Alton officer firing at car

By ROGER AMSDEN, for THE LACONIA DAILY SUN

ALTON — Belknap County Attorney Melissa Guldbrandsen, who will decide whether an Alton police officer who discharged his firearm at a vehicle was justified in his use of force, says that she has yet to receive the State Police report on the incident.

"I haven't heard from them yet. It looks like this will take a while," sad Guldbrandsen. No one was injured in the incident, which took place on the evening of Feb. 25 when a police officer who was at the scene of motor vehicle accident on Route 140 fired his weapon at a car which was approaching the scene.

Lt. Scott Gilbert, commander of the State Police Major Crime Unit, has said that the Belknap County Attorney will make a determination about the officer involved shooting, not the state Attorney General's office, because no one was injured in the incident.

Gilbert said that the driver of the first vehicle, who was charged with driving while intoxicated, had already been taken from the accident scene near Youngstown Road when the second incident took place.

He said the police officer fired a single round "because of the manner in which the vehicle was being operated." Gilbert said the vehicle came to a stop and that driver was taken into custody.

The arrest was made by Gilford police, who had been called upon for assistance by the Alton police.

Gilford police arrested Erik Klerk, 50, of Alton, who was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated.

Gilbert said earlier that it would be premature to release the name of the Alton police officer who fired the shot as the investigation of the incident has not yet been completed. State Police said that they were able to speak with the diver of a U-haul truck who was driving by at the time the incident as well as two or three others who have witnessed the event.