MANCHESTER, NH — A man is charged with threatening to shoot a driver’s ed teacher and her three student drivers after one of them attempted to parallel park on Chestnut Street.
Manchester Police met with instructor Marie Ramsdell, 44, of Manchester, at the intersection of Chestnut and Salmon streets at 5:50 p.m. Nov. 24 to investigate a report of a threat involving a firearm. Officer Peter Flanagan spoke with the four victims.
Ramsdell said she was with her three students as one of them attempted to parallel park on Chestnut Street, south of Webster Street, when a man approached the vehicle. The 17-year old student driver began parallel parking between two vehicles when the man, later identified as Joseph Duven, 22, of Manchester, allegedly knocked on the front passenger window.
There were two rear-seat passengers who were also identified as juveniles.
Duven allegedly threatened to shoot the four people if they struck his vehicle while parking.
Ramsdell and her passengers observed a black-and-silver handgun on Duven’s hip while he made the threat. They feared for their safety, so they vacated the area to contact police.
Responding officers investigated the incident and spoke with several residents. The officers provided the suspect description to area residents and determined Duvan, who lives on Chestnut Street, matched the description of the man who allegedly threatened the carload of student drivers. Their efforts led them to the British Beer Company, 1071 South Willow St., a short time after the incident.
Duven was inside of the restaurant when Officer James Pittman made contact with him and a female friend. Duven spoke with Officer Pittman about the alleged criminal threatening with a firearm. Officer Pittman gathered enough probable cause to arrest Duven. He was subsequently charged with four counts of felony criminal threatening (F). The firearm allegedly used during the incident was located outside of the restaurant, so he was also charged with falsifying physical evidence.
Duven was transported to police headquarters and released on $3,000 cash/surety bail. He is scheduled to appear in the 9th Circuit Court-Manchester on December 31, 2015.
