BREAKING: New London’s police chief resigns immediately amid scandal

By TRICIA L. NADOLNY

Monitor staff

Last modified: 4/4/2013 5:07:52 PM

New London’s police chief has resigned after a woman said he offered to drop charges against her in exchange for nude photographs, according to the New Hampshire attorney general’s office. The woman’s lawyer, who said she is a student at Colby Sawyer College, described the incident with former police chief David Seastrand as lasting several hours.



“There was an extended attempt to bargain away her criminal charges in exchange for her allowing herself to be photographed naked,” attorney Richard Lehmann said. “Obviously she refused, and frankly, it was a brave act for her to report this matter to the attorney general’s office.”



Seastrand, who announced his retirement Monday but said then that he planned to work through the end of the month, agreed earlier today to resign immediately and give up his certification as a police officer. As a result, no criminal charges will be filed against him, according to a press release from the attorney general’s office. The office said the woman filed the complaint against Seastrand on March 6, initiating an investigation.



Lehmann said the woman would have liked to see criminal charges filed against Seastrand but respected the attorney general office’s decision to handle it as it did.



“She’s had to live in town, continue going to school in town, knowing this was pending all this time,” he said. “And that’s caused her a great deal of stress and interfered with her life.”



Lehmann said the woman is considering lawsuits against both Seastrand and the town.



Seastrand has worked for the town’s police department for 27 years. In the retirement letter he gave the selectmen Monday night, he didn’t indicate a reason for his decision, saying it was made after many months of consideration.



“It has been my honor to have worked with so many dedicated individuals throughout the years, that have made this job, and my experiences working here so meaningful,” he wrote.



(Tricia L. Nadolny can be reached at 369-3306 or tnadolny@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @tricia_nadolny.)





