Weare officer won't face charges in fatal shooting

A report from the state Attorney General's Office called an August drug sting that resulted in the fatal shooting of an alleged drug dealer "ill-conceived," but said the officer who fired the fatal shot will not face any criminal charges.

A 44-page report released Wednesday said the AG's Office was unable to determine if the conduct of Officer Nicholas Nadeau was justified when he shot suspected heroin dealer Alex Cora deJesus, 35, of Manchester at Lanctot's Plaza parking lot on Route 114 in Weare.

"The determination that Nadeau cannot be successfully prosecuted for a crime in connection with deJesus' death is not an endorsement of the police conduct that led to deJesus' death," the report said. "On the contrary, many aspects of the Weare PD's drug investigation and the implementation of the plan to capture deJesus were ill-conceived and obviously placed many police officers and private citizens at unnecessary risk."

When police vehicles moved to box in deJesus' vehicle on Aug. 14, deJesus attempted to flee in his vehicle and two officers fired at him, fatally striking deJesus, according to the report.

Manchester attorney Larry Vogelman, who represents the deJesus family, said he plans to a file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the town of Weare, Nadeau and at least some of the other officers involved in the case.

"My overall reaction is from any fair reading of the report it was obvious from the beginning of this (drug) investigation right into the shooting of Mr. deJesus, it was one big screw-up," Vogelman told the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Weare Police Chief John Velleca, who joined the force last November, said restricted duty for Nadeau and Sgt. Kenneth Cox, the other officer who fired his weapon at deJesus' vehicle, was lifted Wednesday.

Read more at the <a href="http://www.unionleader.com">Union Leader</a>, http://www.unionleader.com/article/20140423/NEWS07/140429588