LACONIA, NH - Laconia is a small New Hampshire town on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, a picturesque lake in the south-central part of the state. While the town has a population of just under 17,000 people, that number swells during bike week. As with many cities and towns nationwide, it is not immune from big-city problems.
Last week, a town police officer was struck by an impaired driver in what Police Chief Matt Canfield says was a deliberate act, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.
Canfield said Justin Spiko, 38, of Londonderry, New Hampshire was arraigned in Laconia District Court last Friday. In an afternoon press conference, Canfield said the charges against Spirko were upgraded to attempted capital murder of a police officer and attempted first-degree murder in the incident, which Canfield said was “a deliberate criminal act” that was “targeted at our officer.”
Aside from the above charges, Spirko was further charged with reckless conduct, aggravated DWI, criminal threatening, two counts of resisting arrest, criminal mischief, and attempted simple assault.
Canfield characterized the aftermath of the crash as “a very difficult night for our department.”
The incident began when the Laconia PD received a report of a disturbance between neighbors in the area of state Rte. 3 and Watson Rd. When the responding officers, John Skehan, and Erica Beliveau arrived, Beliveau saw someone later identified as Spirko get into a Honda CR-V. The vehicle accelerated toward the officers, with Beliveau being able to jump out of the way. Spirko then swerved to the right and hit the left side of the officers’ cruiser before hitting Skehan in the leg.
While Canfield said Spirko hitting Skehan was “a very intentional act,” he didn’t know if the two knew each other. He said body-camera footage of the incident is currently under review.
Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer knew Skehan personally and said he has “deep roots” in the area. He said Skehan was, aside from being a local police officer, “really one of our own.” He has served with the Laconia Police Department for about five years. Skehan suffered a serious injury to his leg and was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday morning.
Spirko is pretty well-known to New Hampshire law enforcement authorities.
On July 22, he was found guilty by a Belknap County Superior Court jury of reckless conduct in connection with an incident on April 7 where he shot “a crossbow bolt into a wall in the direction of a public roadway” in the town of Belmont.
Judge Elizabeth Leonard sentenced Spirko to 12 months in the Belknap County Jail, credited him with 107 days for time served during pretrial confinement, and suspended the balance of his sentence for two years.
In May 2023, Spirko, then living in Nashua, New Hampshire, threatened an employee at an apartment complex in that southern New Hampshire town and then barricaded himself in his apartment. He surrendered to Nashua police after a standoff that lasted several hours and was charged with criminal threatening, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
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