CONCORD, N.H. – The Office of the New Hampshire Attorney General and the Manchester Police Department have concluded an investigation into a fatal shooting in July and determined the shooter was acting in self-defense.
On July 19, 24-year-old Colin Bouchard shot 42-year-old Jason Barry through the head after Barry tried to escape from Bouchard’s garage on Union Street.
Bouchard was at a nearby car dealership when an app on his phone alerted him to the presence of Barry in his garage. Bouchard drove home, found Barry trying to escape from the garage and ordered him to stop. Bouchard shot Barry after this request was made and ignored.
Based on an investigation into the case, New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald has concluded that the state cannot disprove Bouchard’s claims of self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Although the final analysis from the Office of the Attorney General indicated that the evidence toward Bouchard’s claim is arguably inconsistent with several statements made by Bouchard, any statements made by Bouchard immediately following the incident must take the context of the situation into account.
Additionally, other facts ascertained by investigators provide support for Bouchard’s claim, leading to the Attorney General deciding not to file charges against Bouchard related to Barry’s death.
A full copy of the 29-page report from the Attorney General is below.