DERRY, NH – The Attorney General’s office on Tuesday released the final report following an investigation into a shooting on Feb. 21, 2025 in which an officer shot and wounded a man during a traffic stop.
Attorney General John M. Formella said in a summary statement that based on their investigation the use of deadly force against Levi Coltey by Police Officer Andrew Noorigian was legally justified.
A narrative summary from the report based on police vehicle camera footage and other reports, says that on the evening of February 21, 2025, Officer Noorigian from the Derry Police Department was conducting routine motor patrol when he attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic infraction. That vehicle was driven by Levi Coltey, and contained no passengers. Ultimately, Mr. Coltey stopped his vehicle along the side of the road. Police repeatedly directed Mr. Coltey to turn off his car. After Mr. Coltey remained, vehicle idling, for several minutes, he drove away.
Mr. Coltey traveled for about two miles, pursued by several marked police vehicles with activated lights and sirens. During that pursuit Mr. Coltey drove erratically, at times speeding, weaving outside his travel lane into the oncoming lane, and abruptly stopping his car and attempting to change direction. While Mr. Coltey was driving slowly along a relatively remote stretch of the Route 28 Bypass in Derry, one of the marked police vehicles in pursuit forced Mr. Coltey’s car to the roadside, where it became stuck in snow.
When Mr. Coltey’s car was stuck, Officer Noorigian, who had been driving his marked patrol vehicle towards the car, left his vehicle and approached the driver’s door, armed with a rifle. When Officer Noorigian was at the driver’s window, Mr. Coltey quickly leaned over to the passenger area, and then pulled back to the driver’s seat and faced Officer Noorigian who incorrectly believed that Mr. Coltey was pointing a handgun at him. He quickly backed up and fired a single shot from the rifle that he held, striking Mr. Coltey in the shoulder.
The roadside encounter between Mr. Coltey and Officer Noorigian—from the time the officer reached the car to when he fired his weapon—lasted only about five seconds, and the entire encounter was captured on police vehicle cameras.
Ultimately, police officers removed Mr. Coltey from his car, and he was given medical treatment on scene and hospitalized. Mr. Coltey survived his injury.
The full final report can be read below.