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Two More Officers Under Investigation in Salem

Two more Salem, New Hampshire police officers are on paid leave pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.  It is unclear what exactly the officers may have done wrong. ( Published Monday, Feb. 18, 2019)

Two additional Salem, New Hampshire police officers are now on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. 

Back in November, the attorney general’s office launched an investigation into police practices following an outside audit. 

That report outlined a trend of mismanaged internal investigations and highlighted a retaliatory culture inside the department. 

In January, Deputy Police Chief Robert Morin was put on paid leave because he was named in the Attorney General’s probe.  Now, a month later, the Attorney General has named Capt.  Michael Wagner and Sgt.  Michael Verocchi as part of that same criminal investigation. 

Clerk Pulls Out Machete on Would-Be Robber

A would-be robber armed with a knife had a surprise in store when an Alabama store clerk pulled out a machete in defense.  The two's brief knife fight was caught on camera before the clerk runs out to damage the robber's car. 

According to police, suspect Seth Holcomb walked up to the counter to make a purchase.  He leaves the store and then comes back in as if to make a second purchase.  Then, he pulled out a knife at the counter.  What he didn't expect was that the clerk would pull out a machete of his own. 

(Published Wednesday, March 20, 2019)

The Attorney General’s Office refused to comment about exactly what the officers may’ve done wrong, saying only that this is an open and active investigation. 

“It’s frustrating,” Capt.  Joel Dolan said in an interview on Monday. “ We are trying to be as transparent in this as possible, but the information we have, and the information that can go out, is very limited.” 

Community members are shocked to hear that three of their police officers are now under criminal investigation. 

“It’s a shame, but it’s also very surprising,” said longtime Salem resident Gary Marino. “ I’ve been here 44 years and they’ve always been fantastic.” 

It really hurts because there are some real good police officers there,” Bob Thistle, another Salem resident, said. 

Capt.  Dolan is encouraged by the community support, as he and the rest of the 60 full-time officers work hard to maintain the department’s reputation. 

YouTube Mom Accused of Abusing Foster Kids for Clicks

Machelle Hackney of Maricopa, Arizona, is accused of forcing her adopted children to participate in her YouTube channel and abusing them if they did not recall their lines or perform as directed.  Hackney's channel had accrued hundreds of millions of views since she joined in 2012. 

(Published Wednesday, March 20, 2019)

“It’s a black eye, yes, but it’s also a time for us to shine and show how good the department really is,” Dolan said. 

Dolan is making it clear that Morin, Wagner and Verocchi have not been charged or convicted. 

He says they are on paid administrative leave as part of department protocol during an investigation.