MANCHESTER, N.H. —
Executive councilors are calling for statewide change after an internal review by the Berlin Police Department found a “glaring failure” in officers’ response to a welfare check last summer.
The call came days before Michael Gleason shot and killed his wife, 25-year-old Marisol Fuentes, before killing himself.
A friend of Gleason’s called police after Gleason allegedly talked about killing himself and Fuentes.
The department’s internal review, released last week, found officers never contacted the friend or attempted to locate Gleason or Fuentes.
Some executive councilors are now asking the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office to review welfare check policies across the state.
“When they say they had no welfare check policies, that concerned me greatly,” said Executive Councilor John Stephen. “I’d like you to check to make sure there is no New Hampshire police department… that doesn’t have a policy on welfare checks.”
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The review also detailed a separate incident involving a violation of a protective order against Gleason.
On Wednesday, executive councilors and the Attorney General’s Office agreed the tragedy should never have happened and said they hope police departments learn from it.
“She’s out there by herself in many ways and not really being protected, and that goes across the board throughout the state,” said Executive Councilor Joe Kenney. “Young police officers gotta get the training, gotta make sure they get the training on how to handle domestic violence.”
Attorney General John Formella said he is committed to issuing guidance on welfare check policies but said it is ultimately up to police chiefs to implement them.