Londonderry News

On July 18, Londonderry Police Department’s Sergeant Adam Dyer, with assistance from Officer Nicholas Pinardi, arrested two young men after a motor vehicle stop on Nashua Road revealed underage drinking. While the passenger went peacefully, the driver resisted, fought back, and at one point reached for Dyer’s handgun before he was restrained. The following story depicts the events of that night.

At about 1:35 AM, Sergeant Dyer noticed the vehicle in front of his straddling the two marked lines for about 50 feet while traveling on Gilcreast Road. The vehicle approached the set of lights at Nashua Road and pulled into the right hand turn lane. While the light was red, there was no traffic and the vehicle made no effort to take the right hand turn.

According to Dyer, “I then struck my vehicle’s horn and the vehicle pulled forward.” Sergeant Dyer then activated his emergency lights and stopped the vehicle on Route 102. “The vehicle then pulled to the right and struck the curb.”

When Dyer approached the vehicle, he noticed several unopened cans of beer on the floorboard in plain sight in the back seat. He then requested the driver’s license and registration for the driver, who gave Sergeant Dyer both. “I noted the passenger was wearing sunglasses even though it was pitch black out and requested his identification as well.” The driver was identified as Derick Canada of Woburn, MA, and the passenger as Bryan Gosselin, also of Woburn.

Both licenses revealed they were under drinking age, and Sergeant Dyer asked why there was beer in the back seat. Gosselin admitted that it was his. Canada denied drinking any alcohol, and Gosselin admitted to “having beers earlier.” Dyer also noted a strong odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle when speaking to the boys.

Sergeant Dyer told Officer Pinardi that both driver and passenger would be under arrest for alcohol violations. Dyer requested a tow, and asked Gosselin to step to the rear of the vehicle. When Gosselin exited the car, Dyer noticed “in plain view an open can of Bud Light Beer where his left leg had been. The beer was still cold to the touch and about half full.” Gosselin was arrested and placed in Officer Pinardi’s cruiser. “While searching Gosselin at the rear of the vehicle, I made note that there was a Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts club sticker on the rear window,” stated Sergeant Dyer.

Dyer then asked Canada to go to the rear of the vehicle. He was told to put his hands on top of his head, and that he was under arrest. Dyer then took hold of both of Canada’s hands, and put them behind his back. “Canada then physically pulled his hands forcefully from my grasp and held his arms up shoulder level. He demanded to know what he was being arrested for.” Dyer explained that it was for underage transportation of alcohol and told him to put his hands behind his back, as he was under arrest.

Canada refused to put his hands behind his back and physically resisted both Officers’ attempts to pull his arms around behind him. At this point, Canada began to roll his body into Dyer, and grabbed at his uniform shirt. Sergeant Dyer then took a hold of his left arm in an arm bar, and warned him to stop resisting and put his hands behind his back. Canada then began to “violently resist and began grabbing at myself and Officer Pinardi in what appeared to me to be ground fighting/MMA* techniques,” said Dyer.

* Mixed Martial Arts

Sergeant Dyer continued in his report that “during this time, we went to the ground with Canada. At one point Canada was grabbing at my belt and I rolled to the side to move my firearm away from his grasp. Canada then got on top of me on my back and put his weight down on top of me. I was able to lift myself up to my knees and Officer Pinardi was able to get Canada off my back.” Afraid that Canada was attempting to inflict injury on the officers, Dyer then extended his expandable baton, while continuing to yell for him to stop resisting.

When it was obvious Canada had no intention of stopping, Sergeant Dyer then struck Canada on the leg with the baton, will yelling for Canada to stop. Dyer noticed the strike had little affect on Canada, so “I then struck him again with the handle of the baton in a punching strike at his stomach area. The strike made contact at his stomach and seemed to knock the wind out of him.” Canada went down, but still refused to stop resisting. He did stop fighting back, but was still attempting to not be controlled.

Sergeant Dyer then took out his pepper spray and warned Canada that if he did not stop, he would get sprayed. “Due to Officer Pinardi’s close location to Canada’s face, I chose not to spray him and contaminate Officer Pinardi as well,” said Dyer. At this point, Dyer was able to pull Canada’s right arm around behind his back and get a handcuff on it. “Both Officer Pinardi and I were on top of Canada and he continued to twist and pull from our grasp. After several more moments of twisting and pulling, we were able to get his left hand behind his back and cuff it.”

Canada was then searched and placed inside of Officer Pinardi’s cruiser. But he did not stop there. “Once inside, Canada began to smash his face into the plexiglass/metal cage,” Sergeant Dyer said. The vehicle was searched and officers seized the alcohol and a small baggie of suspected marijuana and a bowl in the driver’s side door area. The vehicle was towed without further incident.

Both officers sustained no injuries during the struggle. However, Sergeant Dyer noticed his uniform had sustained a few tears, and his shirt had come untucked.

Bryan Gosselin was charged with Unlawful Possession and Intoxication, and Transporting Alcoholic Beverage (Passenger). He was released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to appear in Derry on August 24. Derick Canada was charged with Transporting Alcoholic Beverage (Driver), Unlawful Possession and Intoxication, Resisting Arrest or Detention, Transporting Drugs In a Motor Vehicle, Possession of Controlled Drugs- Marijuana, Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Liquor, and 2 counts of Simple Assault on a Police Officer. Canada was held on $2,500 cash bail at the Rockingham County Jail until he could be seen in court on Monday, July 19.