Andover Firefighter Charged After NH Infant Suffers Non-Accidental Injuries

A 33-year-old Londonderry, New Hampshire man who works as a firefighter and paramedic for the Andover Fire Rescue in Massachusetts has been charged with felony assault after his 3-month-old child suffered non-accidental injuries early on the morning of July 5. Adam Cole surrendered on a warrant Monday and was arraigned Tuesday in Derry District Court, where a judge set cash bail at $5,000.

According to NBC Boston, Cole is charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. Londonderry police believe Cole caused the infant's injuries, though as with any pending case, the allegations remain unproven and Cole retains the presumption of innocence. He had no immediately identified attorney as of Tuesday's arraignment, per the outlet's reporting.

The case moved quickly once medical staff got involved. The infant was treated overnight at Boston Children's Hospital, where evaluations established that the injuries were non-accidental trauma, according to a release relayed by the Londonderry Police Department on Facebook. Massachusetts and New Hampshire law require medical professionals and law enforcement to immediately report any suspicion of child abuse to the state's Division for Children, Youth and Families, a mandate outlined by RAINN that governs exactly this kind of hospital notification.

How the Investigation Unfolded

New Hampshire's Division for Children, Youth and Families notified Londonderry police on July 6 about the possible abuse of the 3-month-old, setting off a monthslong investigation before charges were filed. Londonderry Police Detective Keeley Mazariego conducted a follow-up investigation at Cole's residence on Greeley Road on July 9, after interviewing the child's parents, medical personnel, and social workers, per the police department's release relayed on Facebook.

The Division for Children, Youth and Families' Central Intake Unit fields more than 20,000 reports of suspected child abuse and neglect annually through its 24-hour hotline, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Those intake calls are screened before they trigger a formal law enforcement notification like the one that reached Londonderry police in this case.

A Career Spent Serving Two Communities

Cole began his career with Andover Fire Rescue in December 2019, working as a dual-certified firefighter and paramedic for nearly six years and eight months, with an active paramedic certification at the time of his arrest, according to a report relayed on Facebook. He lived in Londonderry while commuting roughly 25 miles south to his job in Andover, a cross-border arrangement common among Merrimack Valley public safety employees, as reported by WMUR-TV.

Andover's chief human resources officer, Michelle Roach, said through a spokesperson that Cole has been placed on administrative leave pending further review. His employment status with Andover Fire Rescue now sits in limbo while the criminal case proceeds separately in New Hampshire courts.

What Cole Is Facing in Court

Under New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated 631:2, second-degree assault is a Class B felony carrying a potential sentence of 3.5 to 7 years in state prison and fines up to $4,000, according to Justia Law. That statute specifically penalizes knowingly or purposely causing bodily injury to a child under age 13.

The misdemeanor endangerment count carries up to one year in a county correctional facility and a maximum $2,000 fine, per Beaton & Kiers PLLC, and applies when someone knowingly violates a duty of care owed to a minor. Because the felony charge originated in district court, it must clear a probable cause evaluation before it can be bound over to Rockingham County Superior Court for a grand jury to consider indictment, a procedural step detailed by Rock Law PLLC.

It remains unclear whether Rockingham County prosecutors will pursue that formal indictment on the felony count, and what, if any, civil or administrative action the Town of Andover or Massachusetts emergency medical licensing authorities might eventually take against Cole's paramedic certification. For now, Cole is free on bail as the case heads toward further court proceedings in New Hampshire.