N.H. resident complains about police actions

Linda Sharp, a Nags Head resident, complained about police arresting her twice on a town ordinance violation of having dogs not on a leash at the July 15 meeting of the town commissioners, during the public comments portion of the meeting.

She said as her dog was giving birth one morning, before she had time to dress in street clothes, and two policemen knocked on her door and arrested her on the dog leash ordinance, handcuffing her and taking her to the county detention center. She said she was in night clothes and was not given a chance to change. She said they told her they had a warrant for her arrest but would not produce it. She said she called her attorney Linda McCown who said she was shocked that she was arrested and booked on a charge that would not usually be handled this way. She said the magistrate told her he had never seen such an abuse of power.

She said on another occasion she was having dinner with a friend and police came to her door and arrested her again, taking her to the detention center another time. She said the dog they described this time was similar to hers but this time it actually belonged to tourists who had been renting a cottage near her home. She said she thought the incidents came about because of a personal matter involving the police chief’s mother. Calling the arrests harassment, she said, “This is an abuse of power.” She added that she did not feel safe in her home.

She said she occasionally saw Mayor Bob Oakes walking his dog, not on a leash, as she was walking her dog, so this is not unusual.

Sharp also said she called the town manager, but he did not return her call.

The town attorney had advised that the board should go into closed session for another matter, and a motion to do this was made. Then Com. Anna Sadler said she thought they should discuss Sharp’s comments in closed session and made a motion to amend the earlier motion to go into closed session. There was some discussion as to whether they should consider a criminal item at that time, but the motion to consider it passed on a 4-1 vote with Com. Cahoon voting against it.