An Exeter police officer was hospitalized this week after the person he was investigating in connection with a hit-and-run allegedly turned violent, leaving the officer with injuries to his face, neck and jaw. The suspect, 25-year-old East Kingston resident Joshua Horgan, was taken into custody with the help of a bystander and has since been booked into Rockingham County Jail.
According to NBC Boston, the officer had been investigating a hit-and-run reported near a Dunkin’ on Portsmouth Avenue in Exeter when he tracked down a person of interest in Stratham, near the Exeter town line. Police say that man, later identified as Horgan, attacked the officer during the encounter. The officer was taken to Exeter Hospital to be evaluated for his injuries, per the same report.
Accounts differ slightly on the timeline of events. WMUR reported that the assault happened during a hit-and-run investigation in Stratham on Monday, with the officer locating Horgan on Portsmouth Avenue near the Exeter town border around 3:20 p.m. A separate report published by Yahoo said the officer was following up on the incident at about 3:18 p.m. on September 29 — details that have not been reconciled between the two accounts.
Bystander Steps In To Help Subdue Suspect
A good Samaritan helped subdue Horgan, according to NBC Boston. He was then transported to Rockingham County Jail. It marks the second time in this account that an outside party played a direct role in bringing the situation under control, following the officer's own attempt to detain Horgan alone.
Horgan faces two counts of simple assault and one count of resisting arrest, according to the Yahoo-published report. It was not immediately clear from the available reporting whether Horgan has retained an attorney who could speak to his arrest.
Stratham Police Take Over Criminal Case
Because the assault happened on Stratham's side of the town line, Stratham police are set to handle that portion of the investigation and the associated charges, per Exeter police's account relayed by NBC Boston. As of Tuesday night, Stratham police had not released their own statement on the case, the outlet noted.
The incident began with a reported hit-and-run near the Portsmouth Avenue Dunkin’.
In April, a New Hampshire state trooper was reportedly assaulted in Dover and was released from the hospital afterward, according to WMUR. That case was separate from the Exeter incident.
