Neighbor Describes 'Awful' Shooting, Explosion

Bill Dale, who lives in the vicinity of Mill Pond Road in Brentwood, described the events of the fatal shooting of Officer Steve Arkell and home explosion May 12, 2014:

"Honestly it is just awful. I feel terrible for Officer Arkell and his family. It is incredibly sad, and if it is even possibly doubly so as he was not only an officer here but a father and member of our community.

I work from home quite a bit. Yesterday was a beautiful day and I had my office windows open. A little after 4 p.m. I heard the initial barrage of gun shots; it was a series of distinctive "pops." We are used to hearing gun shots, as there is a range near here, but I remember finding it odd the direction the noise came from. My wife and kids were out in the yard. From the distance we started hearing sirens and at the same time e-mails started flying among the neighbors indicating that we were supposed to head inside and lock up. We all hurried the kids inside our homes.

The incident was coming from the 55 and older community; which is visible through the woods. Everyone passed the information that we came across, largely from the internet. At one point I heard there was an officer down, another unaccounted for, and the shooter was unaccounted for. I, like many of my neighbors, scanned the woods bordering the neighborhoods. We watched from the television as the situation unfolded.

The house was on fire. I stepped outside to see the smoke. There were dark black clouds billowing over the trees. I wasn't outside for more than a minute when the massive explosion occurred. It was loud and you could feel the shock waves from where I was standing. We were about 1,200 feet from the home.

Shortly thereafter the police sent a few cars to our neighborhood to, if nothing else, provide some comfort to the families that were here. Many of us wondered if the right thing to do was to stay put or go. There was a fire on the news spreading into the woods. We chose to stay. As it turns out they weren't letting people into the neighborhood at that point and the road was congested with emergency response vehicles, so probably the best course of action.

In the end the police response from NH was incredible. So many officers, from so many places. I can honestly say in the face of everything we felt very safe with their over-watch. They were incredibly professional. I just feel awful for Officer Arkell's family, his friends, his colleagues. It is just incredibly sad. At the same time grateful for the emergency services and response. It wasn't about us. It was confusing, chaotic, and a little worrisome. I can only imagine how it was for those with closer vantage points."