Manchester Father, Who Fatally Shot His Son In 2020, Cleared

MANCHESTER, NH — The Office of the Attorney General and the Manchester Police Department have concluded an investigation into the fatal shooting of Alan Beliveau, 59, in Manchester on April 16, 2020.

The investigation determined that Alan Beliveau was fatally shot by his father, George Beliveau, 82.

On April 16, 2020, around 8:15 p.m., Manchester police officers were dispatched to 73 Brockton St. for a report of a shooting with at least one injured.

Officers learned that the shooter was at 49 Brockton St. When they went to that address, they located the residents, Stephen Houle and Tonya Angwin, together with one of the residents of 73 Brockton St., George Beliveau.

When officers first arrived, all three were inside of 49 Brockton St. George then exited with Angwin and complied with officers’ commands until he was placed in handcuffs. Once in handcuffs, George told officers that the firearm was inside of 49 Brockton St.

Officers saw that George was injured. His face was very badly bruised and cut. His right eye was extremely black and blue and partially closed. He had a large lump on the back of his head, and he was bleeding badly around both of his hands and wrists. There was a large gash on his right elbow, and his pants and clothes had blood in multiple areas. George kept mentioning how badly his jaw hurt.

George explained that he and his son (later identified as Alan Beliveau) had a nice day together.

They had gone grocery shopping and upon returning home, Alan went upstairs to his bedroom and George was downstairs in the living room. At some point, Alan came downstairs and started fighting with George; George said this was the first time something like this had happened, as they had never fought before. The fight was over the fact that Alan did not believe George was his real father. Alan started physically attacking George, first punching him and then, after knocking George to the ground, repeatedly kicking him. George said he was scared for his life throughout the fight, as Alan was much larger and younger.

George did not mention shooting Alan in his initial statement. George was taken to a hospital emergency room via ambulance, and a police officer rode in the ambulance with George. On the way to the hospital, George told one of the paramedics, “I had to do something because I didn’t think I’d see daylight again. I had to shoot him.”

While George was en route to the hospital, officers interviewed Houle and Angwin. Houle said he was home with his wife when he heard aggressive knocks at the door. He answered the door and George burst in. George was covered in blood all over his face and arms, and kept repeating, “My son attacked me, my son attacked me, call the police, my son tried to kill me.” Houle then called 911. George was extremely terrified and said his son kept hitting him with a cane and started kicking him and would not stop. Houle asked if George “put bullets in Alan,” and George said he did. George had a small, silver pistol, which he gave to Houle.

At the hospital, George was re-interviewed by detectives. Detectives noted that George had cuts, scrapes, and bruises on his head, arms, hands, and shoulders. They noted he had a large black right eye with a large amount of bruising on the right side of his forehead and face. Detectives observed deep bruising along George’s right forearm and hand, with several cuts on his right hand. They also saw bruising on the left side of George’s face, dried blood in his left ear, and small cuts on his left shoulder blade. George also had heavy bruising along his left forearm and hand, a large cut near his left wrist, dried blood around his nose and mouth, and a large amount of redness on his nose.

At some point, Alan came downstairs wearing only shorts and underwear and started hitting George, saying, “you’re not my father.” This happened when George was coming out of the downstairs bathroom. Alan began punching and kicking George. George said that Alan had been verbal in the past, but nothing like this. Alan knocked George to the ground, at which point George realized Alan was serious, so George got very scared. George was telling Alan to get off him and was trying to fight back, but Alan was approximately 100 pounds larger. George said this went on for about 20 minutes, and he was fighting for his life. George then said that he always carries a small gun in his left pocket, so while he was on the ground, he shot Alan twice. He thought one shot hit Alan in the leg, and the other in the stomach. George said, “I had to protect myself; he was gonna kill me.” Alan leaned over a little bit, and George ran out of the house through the kitchen and to the neighbors’ house, and he told them to call 911. George brought the gun to the neighbors’ house.

Based on all the facts and circumstances of this case, the deputy attorney general has concluded that George Beliveau was legally justified when he fatally shot and killed Alan Beliveau on April 16, 2020. That is because, at that moment, Alan had already used deadly force against George by physically assaulting him multiple times, including with one or more canes. Further, Alan was much younger and physically larger than George by approximately one hundred pounds, putting George at a disadvantage in their physical altercation.

Therefore, based on a review of all the evidence, it was objectively reasonable for George to conclude that Alan constituted an imminent threat of deadly force when George shot and killed Alan on April 16, 2020. George’s description of events—that he was punched and kicked by a younger, heavier individual, that he was kicked after being knocked on the ground, and that he was struck with a cane, supports an objectively reasonable belief that Alan was using unlawful, deadly force, pursuant to RSA 627:4, II(a). Furthermore, Alan apparently told George that he (Alan) was going to finish George off, further contributing to the reasonableness of George’s belief

The entire report from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office can be read Click Here