Officer named in fatal Northfield shooting

The attorney general’s office has identified Nikolas Ballentine as the police officer who fatally shot a 32-year-old woman in Northfield while responding to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance.

The shooting claimed the life of Meghan Whiting, who authorities said was armed with a knife at the time. Ballentine is a member of the Northfield Police Department with approximately two years of law enforcement experience, according to the attorney general’s office.

At 12:12 a.m. on April 6, officers from the Northfield and Tilton police departments responded to a call at 20 Vine Street, where Whiting was reportedly striking the caller’s girlfriend with a fire extinguisher.

Six minutes after the 911 call was placed, officers were on the scene. They entered the doorway of the apartment and observed Whiting armed with a knife and standing near an injured female resident, authorities said.

Police repeatedly ordered Whiting to drop the knife. Ballentine fired at Whiting, and she died on the scene.

Autopsy results show that Whiting died from multiple gunshot wounds. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Whiting’s death a homicide.

The incident remains under investigation and the attorney general’s office will determine whether Ballentine’s use of deadly force was legally justified.