DERRY, NH – Autopsy results for a Derry man shot and killed during a police call on Saturday were released Sunday by the NH Attorney General’s office.
Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Mitchell Weinberg conducted the autopsy Sunday and determined that the cause of death of Christopher Coppola, 43, was a single gunshot wound to the chest. The manner of death was ruled a homicide. As used by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, homicide is defined as the killing of one person by another.
At approximately 2:17 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, 2022, members of the Derry Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an individual with a shotgun approaching 1 Driftwood Road, a private home, and firing at a resident. The individual with the shotgun was Coppola, a neighboring resident from 5 Driftwood Road. Police responded to the address, and during the incident that unfolded, Coppola was shot. Initial information indicates three officers discharged weapons during the incident.
The exact circumstances surrounding this incident remain actively under investigation.
Additional information will not be released until after the officers’ formal interviews, which is expected to take place during the coming weeks.