HAMPTON, N.H. – In a solemn service at a packed high school stadium where he played football about 30 years ago, Greenland Police Chief Michael Maloney was remembered Thursday as a hero who put fellow officers’ lives first.

Maloney, 48, was killed in a firefight last week, just eight days from his retirement.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, addressing an audience at Winnacunnet High School that included thousands of police officers, said, “Here at Michael Maloney’s beloved alma mater … we bid farewell to a proud native son, a dedicated public servant, a loving husband, father and grandfather, and also a hero in every sense of the word.”

Holder acknowledged the presence of four members of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s drug task force who were wounded during the raid at the home of Cullen Mutrie, 29, of Greenland. After firing on the officers, Mutrie turned the gun on a female companion — Brittany Tibbetts of Berwick, Maine — and then on himself. Both were found dead at the scene.

Court documents unsealed after the shootings show police believed that Mutrie and Tibbetts were selling large quantities of oxycodone pills from the house on a regular basis.

Wounded in the raid were Detective Gregory Turner, 32, a six-year veteran of the Dover Police Department; Detective Eric Kulberg, 31, a seven-year veteran of the University of New Hampshire’s department; Detective Scott Kukesh, 33, a 10-year veteran of the Newmarket department; and Detective Jeremiah Murphy, 34, a seven-year veteran of the Rochester department.

Advertisement

Maloney was shot once in the head as he scrambled to pull wounded colleagues out of the line of fire. He considered the raid to be the last bit of police work he had to finish. His retirement party had been scheduled at the Portsmouth Country Club next week.

“Even when his comrades were wounded, Chief Maloney did not fall back,” Holder said. “He stood his ground and stayed with his team — working to help the others to safety.”

Diane Darling, a friend of Maloney and his wife, Peg, looked over the crowd in disbelief.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Darling said. “I just never imagined something like this would happen.”

More than 200 officers from throughout New England roared around the stadium on motorcycles. A procession of several thousand officers took more than an hour to file in, walking in formation.

Leading his department’s contingent of more than 60 officers, in a wheelchair, was Manchester Police Officer Daniel Doherty, who was shot several times after a foot chase in Manchester last month.

Advertisement

Maloney’s casket was carried halfway around the track, his family walking stoically behind it. The casket was placed front and center of the sea of police uniforms, resting between his motorcycle and police cruiser. A flag at half-staff rippled in the wind. Otherwise, the silence in the stadium was profound.

Maloney was remembered as an avid motorcyclist and fisherman and a fan of the New England Patriots. Off-duty, he wore shorts and sandals whether it was summer or winter, friends said. But mostly, he was remembered as an officer who was dedicated to his colleagues and his community.

New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney called Maloney a friend, a trusted colleague and a role model.

“Through his bravery and swift action, he has humbled us, inspired us, and shown us what it means to fulfill a law enforcement oath to serve and protect,” he said. “He was not about to abandon his brother officers. He would not have it any other way.”

Gov. John Lynch said that in his 26 years in law enforcement, Maloney “became widely known and widely loved.”

“He embraced Greenland like a father embraces his child,” Lynch said. “It was more than a job. It was a way of life.”

Advertisement

Most of the speakers brought up Maloney’s love for his family and community. Photos shown of Maloney in the past week included one of him holding his newborn grandson and namesake, Michael Jacob — M.J.

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte said that, as a mother, that photo caught her attention more than anything else. She said people will tell M.J. when he grows up that his grandfather was a great human being who loved his family and a loyal friend who cared about his community and had compassion for the people he served.

Law enforcement officers and a retired judge remembered Maloney as a commander who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, but had the confidence to remain in the background and allow others he worked with to do their jobs.

Retired Judge Francis Fraiser of Hampton District Court said it was fitting that Maloney’s memorial service was held on a field where he had learned how to face competitors in contests played by fair rules.

On Maloney’s last field of action, Fraiser said, “fair rules were not honored.”

Tim Maloney, Maloney’s younger brother, said one of his favorite things was spending time with his brother in his police cruiser. He recalled how his big brother prepared a pre-ride checklist, telling him he couldn’t touch the lights, turn on the siren, have a badge or give advice.

Advertisement

“I think he would be deeply touched by the show of support and love from all of you,” Tim Maloney said.

The ceremony ended with the playing of taps, a 21-gun salute and a flyover by police aircraft, and the mournful notes of the New Hampshire Pipes & Drums band.

Finally, there was a chilling depiction of the last call to Maloney’s radio made by a Rockingham County sheriff’s dispatcher. The dispatcher feverishly tried to reach the chief, repeatedly calling out his radio call number, “260,” after gunfire erupted.

There was no response. The call ends with the dispatcher saying the code “10-2” — out of service.

Maloney’s casket was carried out of the stadium in a silent procession, his wife and brother carrying the folded flags that had draped it.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.