Crime & Safety
Court Docs Reveal Police Brutality Victim's Lengthy Record
Michael Bergeron Jr., of Seabrook, has been convicted on a number of offenses, including the charges that preceded his alleged police beating.
The Seabrook man accusing three officers of police brutality has been in and out of the court system since 2007 for a variety of offenses, including numerous misdemeanors, felonies, and probation violations, as well as arrests for not paying fines after his various convictions.
Michael Bergeron Jr., now 23, was found guilty in June 2010 of driving while intoxicated (first offense) and possession of marijuana, both Class B misdemeanors. Those are the charges on which police brought him into custody on Nov. 11, 2009, the day the alleged brutality occurred to the then-19 year old.
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Officers have stated in their report that the force — which included slamming Bergeron face-first into a cinderblock wall in a hallway of the Seabrook police station before pepper-spraying Bergeron while he was already on the ground — was necessary to subdue the allegedly violent, trash-talking, spitting and uncooperative man.
Bergeron wasn't arraigned on a disobeying a police officer charge or any related charges, though. He pleaded not guilty to DWI and pleaded guilty to possessing two marijuana joints, and a judge found him guilty of both charges on June 30, 2010, issuing a $750 fine for the DWI charge and a $1,000 fine for the drug charge.
Portions of each of those fines — $250 for the DWI, $650 for the drug charge — were suspended by the judge as long as Bergeron didn't reoffend for the next year and complied with court-issued restrictions and drug treatment.
Bergeron, whose license was also suspended for 18 months as a result of the DWI charge, did reoffend several times, though. In addition to a variety of other charges, Hampton District Court documents indicate that Bergeron was arrested for failing to pay his fines and failing to appear in court.
Among the notable charges on Bergeron's record are three receiving stolen property charges in connection to thefts in Dunvegan Woods, a residential neighborhood in Hampton.
Bergeron was arrested on one Class B felony count of receiving stolen property and two Class A misdemeanor counts of receiving stolen property exactly one month after his November 2009 DWI arrest.
He was allegedly found in possession of a $1,150 Omega Seamaster watch, a $175 Kodak Easyshare digital camera and a $109.99 Kenwood CD receiver — all of which were stolen, according to court documents.
Bergeron was represented in the case by a public defender, just like he was during his other arrests and court appearances, according to court records. The case was bound over to Rockingham Superior Court due to the felony charge, and the outcome of the case wasn't available Wednesday.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are part of a joint investigation into the alleged November 2009 brutality against Bergeron.
Seabrook police station surveillance video of the incident was posted on YouTube by Bergeron on Monday, and Seabrook police officials said Wednesday that this was the first time they had seen the footage.
Veteran Seabrook police officers Mark Richardson, Adam Laurent and Keith Dietenhofer have all been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation into their alleged actions against Bergeron.
A fourth officer shown in the video — Patrolman Dave Hersey — hasn't been placed on administrative leave.
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