Concord cop accused of bail violations, stalking

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·2 min read

May 6—A Concord police officer who was arrested in January for allegedly attacking a woman has now been charged with stalking and contempt of court.

Prosecutors claim back in October, Bryan Croft tried to choke a woman and then told her to lie about how she was hurt.

According to police, Croft choked a woman described as an intimate partner while she was holding a baby, and slammed her arm in a door. State police began an investigation after the Department of Children, Youth and Families received an anonymous complaint.

A few days later, Croft told the woman not to tell state police about the assault, and told her to tell troopers the initial report had been fabricated, authorities said. Croft told the woman to tell police that she was hurt when she fell while moving exercise equipment and that she had not been assaulted.

The woman agreed to speak to state police in January, and said Croft had been physically and emotionally abusive for two years, according to an investigator's affidavit.

A baby monitor recorded the October assault, the woman told investigators, but Croft threw it out, in what prosecutors said was an effort to hobble the investigation. They said he also told the woman to delete photos she took of her bruises from her cell phone.

According to the Attorney General's Office, Croft was a Concord police officer at the time of the assault.

Croft was charged with second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying evidence and domestic violence in January. At that time, one of the conditions of his bail was that he was prohibited from contacting or coming within 1,000 feet of the victim.

The Attorney General's Office issued a statement Wednesday saying Croft violated the order.

Croft is now facing additional charges, including stalking and contempt of court. He is being detained until his arraignment in Hillsborough County Superior Court and the Concord Circuit Court at a future date.

Croft was placed on leave without pay from the Concord Police Department.