New Hampshire Attorney General has filed a civil rights complaint against Aaron Goodwin, a former police officer, for allegedly assaulting Mamadou Dembele, a Black bank executive, in an incident that occurred outside Gilley’s Diner last November. The complaint, filed in Rockingham County Superior Court, accuses Goodwin and his relatives, Kevin and Shannon Goodwin, of racially motivated conduct, stating that the trio harassed and assaulted Dembele and another man who intervened.
Dembele's lawyer, Robin Melone, commented on the impact of such acts on the broader community, expressing gratitude for the state’s decision to pursue charges. “Mamadou is grateful for the State’s decision to call the Goodwins’ conduct what it is and to seek to hold them accountable,” she stated.
According to the complaint, the altercation began after Dembele extended a friendly gesture to Aaron Goodwin by offering him a cigar. In response, Goodwin and his relatives allegedly launched into verbal abuse, with Kevin mocking Dembele’s background and Shannon using racial slurs.
Aaron later escalated the situation by forcefully throwing Dembele to the ground, resulting in injuries that included a concussion and a tear to his Achilles tendon, which required surgery. “These injuries have impeded his enjoyment of life and his ability to perform work at an intellectually and cognitively demanding job,” Dembele’s lawsuit claims.
The civil rights complaint seeks a penalty of $5,000 per charge and an injunction to prevent the Goodwins from any future contact with Dembele or engaging in similar conduct. Dembele is also pursuing a separate federal lawsuit against Aaron Goodwin, alleging battery, negligence, and assault.
Activists and community leaders criticized the delay in charges, with Will Arvelo, chairperson of the New Hampshire Business Alliance for People of Color, arguing that racial bias influenced the response. “We believe that the evidence will show that this was a hate crime,” Arvelo said, underscoring community frustration over perceived inequities in how justice was administered.
Link: Atlanta Black Star
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