Attorney General Joseph A. Foster announces that the Rockingham County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Officer Mark Richardson of the Seabrook Police Department with one count of simple assault. Because Officer Richardson was an on-duty law enforcement officer at the time he committed the alleged assault, there is an enhanced penalty applicable to the charge which provides for a maximum sentence of up to 2 to 5 years in the New Hampshire State Prison and a $4,000.00 fine. The indictment alleges:

"1. On November 11, 2009, Officer Mark Richardson did commit the crime of simple assault in that he did knowingly cause unprivileged physical contact to Michael Bergeron, Jr., by slamming his head into a concrete wall, and at the time he committed this assault Mark Richardson was an on-duty law enforcement officer with the Town of Seabrook."

An arraignment will be scheduled for Officer Richardson in the Rockingham County Superior Court.

A charge of simple assault against Officer Adam Laurent was also presented to the Rockingham County Grand Jury. After considering the testimony and evidence presented, the Grand Jury did not indict and instead returned "No True Bill" on that charge. Therefore, Officer Laurent will not face a criminal charge for his use of oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray against Michael Bergeron, Jr. at the Seabrook Police Department on November 11, 2009.