Accused of attempted murder of three city cops, man says it was self-defense

MANCHESTER, NH — A 20-year-old man, accused of trying to murder a trio of police officers, maintains they were the aggressors and it is a case of self-defense.

Public defenders Tom Stonitsch and Brian Civale, in court documents filed in Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District, said based on discovery provided by the state, including police reports and body-worn camera video, Akwasi Owusu “may argue he was not the initial physical aggressor in this situation, and acted lawfully in self-defense.”

Owusu, they wrote, acted only after Manchester police officers “initiated a physical altercation using deadly (firearms) and non-deadly (taser) weapons.”

Owusu is also invoking an insanity defense.  The defense said an expert disclosure and report were given to prosecutors, who rejected Owusu’s plea of insanity.

Owusu underwent a competency evaluation but all court records regarding that and his mental health were sealed from public view by Judge David A. Anderson.

Presently, Owusu is out on bail.  He has a curfew from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., which allows him the ability to work at a fast-food restaurant.  In a court document, defense attorneys said Owusu is under the supervision of Manchester Mental Health and has been since his release from the New Hampshire State Hospital.

Owusu, whose address at the time of his arrest was 6 Ahern St., was originally charged with three counts of first-degree assault and one count of criminal mischief.   He later was indicted on the attempted murder counts.

The incident happened on Feb. 4, 2020. Owusu is accused of stabbing officers Brendan Langton, 26, Olivia LaCroix, 26, and Kevin Shields, 32.  According to court documents, Langton and LaCroix both suffered puncture wounds to their right sides, resulting in collapsed lungs.

Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Jonathan M. Raiche objected to the self-defense claim due to the lateness of the filing.  He said it’s been more than three years since Owusu was arrested and more than a year since he pleaded “not guilty” to the attempted murder charges.

“The untimely filing of the defendant’s notice of self-defense has significantly affected the state’s ability to prepare for trial as all efforts relating to negotiations to settle this case, and tactical decisions for trial preparation have been focused on the defense of insanity, and the effects of mental health,” Raiche wrote in his objection.

He said the defense and prosecution have engaged in a settlement conference as recently as March 3, 2023, in which “significant progress was made in coming to a resolution of this matter short of trial. Had the state received prior knowledge of the defendant’s intention to file a notice of self-defense, it may have made the difference in accomplishing the resolution suggested by the defense at the hearing.”

He said the officers should have had the right to “contemplate the theory of self-defense and how such a defense could potentially affect the outcome of this matter when they delivered their input at the settlement conference.”

Raiche acknowledged the defense needs only to give 60 days notice of a self-defense claim.  However, he said a “self-defense claim in this context is essentially a claim that the officers, in this case, committed a criminal act justifying the use of deadly force by the defendant.”

He said the late filing “places extraordinary burdens on the state’s already limited time and resources to prepare the police victims for these new allegations, with only weeks leading up to the trial. Both the State and the victims should not have to endure such a distress.”

Raiche asked the court to continue the trial to another date to allow the defense an opportunity to file a motion “setting forth good cause as to why the filing should be accepted,” and to allow the prosecution an opportunity to factor the potential defense into its case.”

Jury selection is currently set for April 24.

The incident happened on the afternoon of Feb. 4, 2020, when officers went to a domestic incident at Owusu’s home.  As they were heading there, dispatch was informed of an incident two days earlier when Owusu allegedly choked his older sister, Patricia Nyantakyi, 25.  A second caller told dispatch that the older brother was now on scene and Owusu was attacking him and attempting to vandalize his vehicle.

The officers located Owusu in a bedroom where he was lying on a mattress.

According to a police affidavit, Shields ordered Owusu repeatedly to show both his hands but Owusu concealed his left hand down by his side.

After he repeatedly refused to comply with the officer’s order, the officers attempted to arrest him.  Owusu, however, became “aggressive” and the officers used the Taser.  That proved unsuccessful and a struggle took place.

As they struggled, Shields saw the small knife in Owusu’s hand.  Owusu swung it around, injuring the three officers, police said.

The incident was recorded on the officers’ body cameras.  Then Police Chief Carlo Capano said the recordings show the officers doing exactly what they should.

Defense attorneys said police approached his bedroom, asking to speak with him.  Akwasi did not leave his room and officers eventually entered and fired a Taser at Akwasi.  “It appears they missed Akwasi, and then the police entered the room and attempted to arrest Akwasi.  During that attempt, Akwasi is alleged to have struck three police officers with a small knife.”