Father Hopes Assault on Daughter Brings Awareness, Results in Justice

Grainy store video shows a child striking an 11-year-old with a high chair last Monday. The father of an 11-year-old, distraught over an incident a week ago where his daughter was bullied and assaulted by another child, is seeking justice as well as understanding. Jason D. Brillon told WHAV his daughter was slapped by a slightly older girl and struck with a piece of furniture at a Bradford doughnut shop. While Haverhill Police have agreed to seek charges against the child in juvenile court, Brillon has widely distributed a store surveillance video showing the assault in hopes of raising awareness. “In the video, she starts off with slapping my daughter in the face eight times,” he said.

Haverhill Man, 31, Receives Serious Injuries After Acre Shooting

A 31-year-old Haverhill man is in a Boston hospital with serious injuries after being shot outside on Cedar Street early this morning. He was one of two men who received gunshot wounds, according to Detective Lt. Robert P. Pistone, Haverhill Police spokesman. The other, a 29-year-old Haverhill man was grazed by the bullet, treated at the scene and released. Police were called at 1:25 a.m., Saturday, to 37 Cedar St., near Fourth Avenue. “At this time, Haverhill police do not believe it was a random act,” Pistone told WHAV.

New Asian Bistro To Bring 120-Seat Restaurant to Riversedge Plaza

Floor plan of new Yummy Asian Bistro. A new 120-seat Asian-style restaurant is expected to open this fall at Riversedge Plaza in Haverhill. Yummy Asian Bistro will occupy the site of Olympia Sports, 223 Lincoln Ave. It was recently granted an all alcoholic beverage license from the Haverhill License Commission, pending construction. The restaurant, expected to open in November, will undergo $100,000 worth of renovations and offer 4,000 square feet of dining space.

Haverhill Police Make Bradford Fentanyl Drug Arrests

Two men were arrested in Bradford late Tuesday night on charges of trafficking in the deadly drug fentanyl. Jason Bower, 28, of Chesterfield, N.H., and Corey Carpenter, 29, of Winchester, were taken into custody by Haverhill Police just before 11:30 p.m., on South Main Street. Each was charged with fentanyl trafficking, possession of drugs, possession of drugs with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws. Bower was also charged with unlicensed driving. Carpenter was further charged with a miscellaneous equipment violation.

Power Out, Businesses Closed After Car Strikes Utility Pole Saturday

The scene early Saturday morning in Lafayette Square. (Video capture from witness, used with permission.)

Lafayette Square was closed to traffic, electricity was out and businesses closed most of the day Saturday after a car struck a utility pole and burst into flames. The vehicle was apparently being pursued by police around 2:30 a.m., Saturday, down Broadway and into Lafayette Square when it struck the utility pole near Phaneuf Insurance, 123 Lafayette Square, according to Fire Chief William F. Laliberty. He theorized the car hydroplaned while negotiating the corner and slid into the pole. “It was quite the coordinated effort to put the pole together and get the infrastructure back in place,” the chief said.

House Break at Murdered Teen’s Home Adds to Mystery

The Finn residence, seen here the night of an unsolved shooting death, was broken into this past weekend, according to a Haverhill Police incident report. (WHAV News photograph.)

Over the weekend, the Bradford home where 18-year-old Bryce T. Finn was shot and killed last week, was broken into by one or more intruders. The incident adds another layer of mystery to the as-yet unsolved murder of the teen by a gunman the night of Tuesday, June 6. District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett’s office has said, “Investigators do not believe this was a random act,” but also declined to speculate on a motive for the killing. A Haverhill Police incident report lists a “breaking and entering” at the 54 Rainbow Drive, single-family home Saturday, June 10, just before 4:30 p.m. The Haverhill Police Department’s Records Division said details of the house break cannot be released while the murder investigation continues.

Bulletin: Recent HHS Grad Shot in Quiet Bradford Neighborhood

The scene in front of 54 Rainbow Drive, Tuesday night. (WHAV News photograph.)
Third Update

A young Bradford man was apparently shot in the chest sometime after 10 p.m., Tuesday night. The victim is reportedly Bryce Finn, who just graduated with the Haverhill High School class of 2017 last week. Several of his classmates said Finn has died from his wounds. Neighbors told WHAV News, a car drove up to a 54 Rainbow Drive home.

Merger Brings Hale Hospital’s 1994 Suitor Back into the Picture

The former Hale Hospital when it was known as Merrimack Valley Hospital, following its sale to Essent in 2001. Twenty-three years ago, Hale Hospital trustees rejected an offer by Brim Healthcare to buy or manage the city-owned hospital. Although diluted after several corporate mergers, the company is expected to join in ownership later this year of what is now known as Holy Family Hospital-Haverhill. Current hospital owner, Steward Health Care of Boston, announced Friday it is merging with IASIS Healthcare of Franklin, Tenn. IASIS Healthcare bought Brim’s hospital business in 2010.