It all happened on March 2 of last year, when 18-year-old Janelle Westfall was walking home from a party holding a beer can. Lew London, NH, Police Chief David Seastrand arrested her for giving a false name and for possessing an open container of alcohol. Several days later, Seastrand called her and told her to come on down to the police station to discuss several alternative methods of punishment, such as community service.
Westfall said that Seastrand told her he would take a couple of nude pictures of her to make sure she didn’t “commit another crime again” and that if she complied, he would drop all the charges, including underage drinking. She said he also told her he would deny everything if she mentioned it to anyone.
Westfall ended up leaving and calling her aunt and uncle – both who happen to be police officers – and her father, who called state police.
Seastrand ended up resigning a month later after serving 27 years, but current state law says he can’t be criminally prosecuted. Prosecutors, who called what Seastrand did “abhorrent behavior and unacceptable behavior for anyone in that type of a position,” said their hands were tied by current statutes. The only law that can apply is an “abuse of power” charge, which is a misdemeanor.
Westfall says she now wants to see state law change so that police can be more easily prosecuted in similar cases and that it can be more than a misdemeanor, in addition to requiring body cameras while on duty.
Westfall received a $70,000 settlement with the town, but she’s she’ll be pushing to get the legislature in the Granite State to change the laws.
