Portsmouth, New Hampshire – Former Portsmouth police sergeant Aaron Goodwin is facing allegations of a violent assault on Mamadou Dembele, a local bank executive, according to court documents filed by Assistant Strafford County Attorney Joachim Barth. The incident, which occurred in November outside Gilley’s Diner, involved Goodwin reportedly slamming Dembele to the ground and causing him to suffer a concussion. Goodwin’s sister-in-law, Shannon Goodwin, also allegedly hurled racial slurs at Dembele and other bystanders.
The assault on Dembele, who is Black, sparked charges against Aaron Goodwin, his brother Kevin Goodwin, and Shannon Goodwin. The altercation began inside Gilley’s Diner, where Kevin Goodwin made disparaging remarks about Dembele’s smell and suggested he could not afford a good cigar. The situation escalated outside, with the Goodwins allegedly verbally and physically assaulting Dembele, with Shannon using racial slurs and resorting to physical violence against bystanders.
Prosecutors claim that Aaron Goodwin “horse-collared” Dembele and slammed him to the ground, resulting in a head injury. Despite the defense’s attempt to block witness testimony regarding racist comments, Barth argues that the racist remarks are crucial to understanding the full context of the assault. The case is scheduled for a bench trial in May.
Goodwin, who has pleaded not guilty, maintains that he was acting in defense of his sister-in-law, denying any use of racist language during the incident. However, the prosecution argues that Shannon Goodwin’s actions provoked the altercation and invalidated Aaron Goodwin’s justification for using force. The case has drawn attention to issues of racial bias and aggression.
The warrants for the arrests of Kevin and Shannon Goodwin, who reside in Dundalk, Maryland, are non-extraditable, meaning they can only be arrested if they return to New Hampshire. The Civil Rights Unit of the New Hampshire attorney general’s office is reviewing the incident, though no hate crime charges have been filed.
The defense and prosecution continue to present their arguments as the case unfolds. Surveillance footage of the incident has not been released, adding to the complexity of the legal proceedings. The community awaits the outcome of the trial and hopes for justice in the aftermath of the alleged assault.