New Hampshire AG’s office joins investigation into gay couples’ assault

• A gay couple who run a chocolate shop in New Hampshire was assaulted by a group of juveniles.
• The juveniles were shouting homophobic slurs during the assault.
• The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office recently joined an investigation into the assault.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office has joined an investigation into an alleged Monday assault of a gay couple who run a chocolate shop in a city along the state’s eastern border.

The couple, who both live and operate the Wm. Poole Confections shop out of the same building in Somersworth, reported they were injured in an attack by a group of juveniles who shouted homophobic taunts.

In a post on Facebook, William Poole said he was struck on the eye with a blunt instrument and suffered lacerations, bruises and stitches from the assault by young people trying to enter the couple’s second-floor residence.

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“I fear for my life and that of my partner, and I fear that our home and business (will) be further antagonized or damaged,” he wrote. “We will not reenter our home and business without police escort.”

In an earlier post, Poole wrote that on July 16, two individuals out of a small group of young people made it onto a ledge of the building and attempted to break into their residence. When confronted on the sidewalk, the group shouted homophobic slurs at them, Poole wrote.

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Michael Garrity, spokesperson for the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office, said Thursday they have joined the investigation into the incident.

“Our Civil Rights Unit is certainly aware of this incident and is actively working with the Somersworth Police Department and our law enforcement partners to look into it further,” Garrity said in a written statement.

Garrity said anyone with information should contact the Somersworth Police Department or the attorney general’s office.