AG: Brentwood Officer Killed in Shooting, House Explosion

Brentwood, NH – A house on Mill Pond Road exploded following the fatal shooting of a police officer on Monday. 

New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster said that Steve Arkell, a patrol officer with the Brentwood Police Department, was shot and killed at the scene by Michael Nolan, an occupant of the house. 

WCVB reported that SWAT teams descended on the home after the shooting at 4:45 p.m. at a home at 46 Mill Pond Road. A fire began in the home and the house exploded at 5:50 p.m. Live footage of the explosion is attached to this post.

"Officer Arkell was fatally shot as he entered the home," Foster said at a news conference May 12 outside the smoldering property where the house once stood. 

Another officer entered the residence but was driven out by gun fire, he stated. 

Nolan, 47, was killed inside the home. 

"It is believed Mr. Nolan was killed by the fire or the explosion," Foster said. 

Arkell leaves two daughters, according to Brentwood Police Chief Wayne Robinson.

Neither Foster nor Robinson took questions at the press conference and no additional information will be released until Tuesday. 

Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, directed flags to half-staff in honor of Arkell, and stated that the entire state was "in mourning over the tragic loss" of Arkell. 

"Officer Arkell bravely answered the call of duty and made the ultimate sacrifice, a heroic demonstration of his commitment to the safety of his fellow citizens," she said. "Like so many of our first responders do on a daily basis, Officer Arkell courageously put his life on the line to protect others, and in doing so, was tragically taken far too soon. It is now the responsibility of all Granite Staters to honor Officer Arkell's sacrifice by coming together and doing everything that we can to support those he has left behind. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as everyone in Brentwood and the surrounding communities affected by this horrific tragedy.”

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, in a statement, said the death of Arkell was "a senseless and shocking tragedy."

Ayotte added, "I send my prayers and condolences to Officer Arkell’s family as well as the Brentwood Police Department. Losing a police officer in the line of duty leaves a hole in our hearts that can never be filled, and I pray that Officer Arkell’s family, friends and fellow officers will find strength in the difficult days ahead.”

NECN reported that a Brentwood selectwoman, Jane Byrne, said that Arkell was shot and flown to a hospital in serious condition, and that another person was taken to Exeter Hospital for treatment of a non-gun shot wound.

Town tax records show the house in question is owned by Walter T and Elizabeth B. Nolan, according to NECN.

Brentwood, established in 1742, is home to about 4,200 people. The town also serves as the Rockingham County seat, and the superior court is about three or four miles away.

Patch will update this post as more information becomes available.