PORTSMOUTH — A New Castle man arrested at a July 4 house party is charged with a count of wiretapping, alleging he used his cell phone to film the police response.

PORTSMOUTH — A New Castle man arrested at a July 4 house party is charged with a count of wiretapping, alleging he used his cell phone to film the police response.



A press release about the party where 20 people were charged did not disclose the wiretapping arrest, but police confirmed Tuesday that Adam H. Whitman, 20, of New Castle was arrested for wiretapping. However, the charge is likely to be dismissed and/or replaced with another charge, possibly disorderly conduct or obstructing government administration, said Capt. Mike Schwartz.



The police spokesman said Whitman was “impaired by alcohol” when he was arrested and when the case was later reviewed, wiretapping didn't seem to be “a viable charge.” According to the sergeant, police continue to review the case which entails files from city police, as well as officers from the responding towns of New Castle, Rye, Greenland and state troopers.



Police confiscated two cell phones, one of them Whitman's, said Schwartz, adding that detectives are investigating where the minors got the alcohol.



“Consider the maelstrom of 30 kids, a kid passed out on the lawn and kids on the roof,” said Schwartz. “Safety was the primary concern of police. We go into it not thinking what we're going to charge them with, but how do we resolve this safely for the kid on the roof, the kid on the lawn and our officers.”



Police responded to the party at 78 Lawrence St. at 12:40 a.m. July 4, based on a citizen complaint, he said. There, police allege, a party-goer was found passed out on the lawn and transported by ambulance to the hospital. Others were on the roof and all were underage and under the influence of alcohol, said Schwartz. Those who could not reach parents to come get them and turn themselves in later for unlawful possession charges were taken into custody, said Schwartz.



Whitman, his brother Bradford Whitman, 22, and Joseph Grattan, 22, of 449 Broad St., Portsmouth, were charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly “riling up the crowd,” said Schwartz.



“They were keeping us from doing our job, which is really to keep (them) safe,” he said.



Three others charged were intoxicated passengers in an SUV that crashed into Putnam's Ski and Snowboard shop about a year ago. Walter Dunfey, 18, of 146 Clark Road, Rye; Matthew Berube, 19, of 41 Liberty Common, Rye; and Corey Langmaid, 19, of 12 Sanderson Road, Greenland were again charged with unlawful possession of alcohol at the July 4 party.



All three have pleaded guilty or negotiated plea deals that resulted in violation-level convictions for unlawful possession of alcohol, or in Langmaid's case, the charge being placed on file without a finding, pending his good behavior.



Benjamin Middleton, a 19-year-old police said lives at 78 Lawrence St., was charged with a misdemeanor count of facilitating an underage house party and a violation-level count of unlawful possession of alcohol.



Also charged with unlawful possession of alcohol are Katelyn Hanson, 19, of 376 Middle Road, Portsmouth; Christopher Macdonald, 19, of 40 Captains Landing, Newington; Adam Studer, 19, of 26 Coakley Road, Portsmouth; Gallagher Hogan, 19, of 10 Coakley Road, Portsmouth; Maxwell Agrodnia, 19, of 11 September Drive, Greenland; Keith Peyser, 19, of 43 Gosport Road, Portsmouth; Nicholas Fudge, 20, of 115 Sagamore Road, Rye; Samuel Curren, 20, of 115 Sagamore Road, Rye; John Merighan, 20, of 219 Washington St., Dover; Carl A. Smith, 19, of 246 Washington Road, Rye; Carolyn Vorce, 19, of 91 Beach Hill Road, New Castle; Shoshanna Harmon, 17, of 410 Sagamore Road, Rye; and Tyler J. Melanson, 19, of 37 Post Road in Greenland.