NH Neighbor Who Called 911 Recalls Officer's Shooting And House Explosion
BRENTWOOD, N.H. (CBS) – A Brentwood, N.H., neighborhood remains off limits after a house explosion and fatal shooting of a police officer responding to a domestic dispute there Monday.
Brentwood Police Officer Stephen Arkell, 48, was shot and killed when he responded to the home after getting a call about a fight at the house.
In an exclusive interview Friday, the woman who called 911 talked to WBZ-TV's Sera Congi about the terrifying events of that day.
Barbara Kingsbury was on her front porch with another resident Monday when they heard an intense fight in the home across the street.
"All of a sudden, we started hearing this horrible screaming, yelling F-word this, F-word that. It was horrible," Kingsbury recalled.
Kingsbury said her gut told her to call 911. She watched as Officer Arkell was invited into the house by her 86-year-old neighbor, Walter Nolan.
"He opened the door, asked him in and within five to 10 seconds we heard bang. Bang, bang, bang."
N.H. investigators say that's when Arkell was shot and killed in an ambush by Michael Nolan, 47, Walter's son.
Soon police rushed Kingsbury, her husband and friend into their basement.
A short time later, smoke started to rise from the Nolans' home.
"We're sitting down there and all of a sudden we hear this huge explosion," Kingsbury said.
At that point, police evacuated all the residents, rushing them to safety.
"Policemen kept telling us to look straight ahead, but of course we didn't, and when we turned and looked, there biggest black cloud I've ever seen.
Kingsbury, who uses a wheelchair, was then taken to a hospital so she could get medications left behind in her home.
She did not know there were weapons inside her neighbors' house but she described Michael Nolan as abusive.
He was found dead in the garage after the fire was put out. Walter Nolan was taken out of the house by a second officer who responded to he scene before the explosion.
Kingsbury said Walter and Michael Nolan did not fight but she described Michael as the "mouthpiece."
Barbara Kingsbury said she feels terrible about Arkell's death but has no regrets about calling 911.
She believes that if she didn't, more might have died
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