MANCHESTER, NH – A city man was charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon after police say he was caught – thanks to technology – shooting off his gun in the middle of the day in a densely populated neighborhood while riding his bike.
No injuries were reported in the incident which took place on Aug. 12. That’s when police say Michael Richard, 36, allegedly road down the 300 block of Manchester Street on his eBike and shot off his gun.
Although there were no apparent witnesses, the police department’s ShotSpotter technology detected a single gunshot and police were dispatched to the area of 353 Manchester St.
Patrol officers canvassed the neighborhood and located surveillance footage showing a man, later identified as Richard, riding an e-Bike and firing a pistol into the air while moving through a heavily populated residential area at 2:45 p.m. Police dogs swept the area which led to the discovery of a spent 9mm shell casing in front of 349 Manchester St.
Through investigative efforts, police identified Richard as a suspect, who was later taken into custody and charged.
“This case is a clear example of how we maximize our technology and combine it with strong police work to keep our community safe,” said Police Chief Peter Marr. “ShotSpotter and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) provide us with invaluable leads, but it is the cooperation of all our units—Patrol, K9, Detectives, and our Special Enforcement Division—working hand in hand that makes arrests like this possible. This is technology, teamwork, and traditional policing at its best.”
The Manchester Police Department remains committed to addressing gun crime through proactive enforcement, technology-driven policing, and community collaboration.
All those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty following due process of the law.