Four Manchester, New Hampshire, police officers have been disciplined for violating department standards following their "unprofessional" treatment of a homeless man earlier this year.
The Aug. 12 incident that led to the discipline was captured on video by a resident, showing officers berating a homeless man, using numerous expletives and threatening a fake "manhunt," according to the Union Leader.
Manchester Ink Link reported at the time that the officers told the man they were going to play a game of manhunt and were giving him a 20-minute head start before they came after him.
The man recorded on the video reportedly told an officer he had to get back home. The officer responded: “Manchester ain’t it... You’re not doing well here so you should never come back. You should go back to Rochester.”
In a press release issued Tuesday morning, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said he takes full responsibility for the officers' actions, adding that he is confident that they have learned from the incident and won't repeat their behavior. He did not say what the discipline involved, only that the officers had been "disciplined accordingly."
Asked if the department could say what discipline the officers face, Manchester police spokeswoman Heather Hamel said in an email, "No we are not releasing the disciplinary details" and said a Freedom of Information Act request would have to be filed for any further information.
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais praised Aldenberg for taking action to address the matter and said he supports the decision to discipline the officers.
"Enforcement of our laws and ordinances is a critical component to this and must always be done in a compassionate and empathic way with the ultimate goal of connecting an individual to resources and breaking the cycle of homelessness," Ruais said. "If an individual wants and needs help in this city, it exists, but we cannot tolerate unlawful behavior and I will continue to support the Manchester Police Department in their work."
Aldenberg said his officers have been confronted by numerous challenges related to the issue of homelessness for some time, including violent assaults, thefts, drug use and more. But in this specific incident, he said the officers "allowed their frustration and emotions to overwhelm them," damaging their own reputations and that of the Manchester Police Department.
"While the officers successfully deterred criminal activity by stopping a homeless individual from defecating in an alley and injecting himself with illegal drugs, and they demonstrated compassion and discretion by refraining from making an arrest, this incident will regrettably be overshadowed by the choice of words used by some officers during their duties and their overall demeanor," Aldenberg said. "Instead of being remembered for the positive actions they took, the unprofessional nature of their remarks overshadowed their intentions and accomplishments. Though actions should speak louder than words, in this case, the inappropriate content and delivery of some comments completely eclipsed the officers’ efforts."
"The community deserves higher standards from its police officers," he added. "Regardless of their frustrations, the expectation is that law enforcement professionals behave as such – professionals."
