AG: Thirteen police officers shot at Raymond man before he died by suicide

Thirteen different law enforcement officers shot at Matthew Masse last month before he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a manhunt in Raymond.

The attorney general’s office is still reviewing law enforcement’s use of deadly force but released a preliminary finding that the officers were justified in their actions because Masse shot at them twice.

Investigators also identified the Ashland police officer who shot and killed Demitri Zimmer, a 24-year-old from Laconia, last month as Sergeant Nicholas Shannahan. Zimmer had exchanged gunfire with law enforcement during a traffic stop on April 20, wounding police officer Mason Dalphonse.

In Raymond, when police responded to a call on April 4 that Masse was firing a rifle at his family members, Masse shot at the officers, wounding a Nottingham officer. Fremont Sergeant Rui Barbosa fired back in defense, according to the attorney general’s office.

Masse, 38, fled the scene. After an hours-long search, Masse shot at law enforcement again when they located him in the woods and called out for him to surrender. A dozen officers returned fire.

The attorney general’s office named those involved. They include five members of the Southern New Hampshire Special Operations Unit: Michael Lambert and Kevin Manuele of the Merrimack Police Department, Greg Iworsky and Daniel Boudreau of the Windham Police Department and Nicholas Fiorentio of the Bedford Police Department.

Seven members of the State Police Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT) also discharged their weapons, including sergeants Michael Cedrone, Nicholas Cyr, and Stefan Czyzowski, as well as troopers Tyler Dodds, Kevin Dobson, Matthew Dushame and Jacob Hunt.

The chief medical examiner’s office ruled Masse’s death a suicide last month, saying he shot himself in the chin. His left elbow was also hit by shrapnel.

The attorney general’s office investigates every use of deadly force by law enforcement officers in New Hampshire, even though officers didn’t kill or seriously injure Masse. Investigators have yet to release their final report.

Family members said that Masse had struggled with his mental health.