Mischa Fay was like a lot of kids growing up around Lake Winnipesaukee – he liked boating, Star Wars and pizza. He also loved playing hockey, spending time with his sisters and cheering on the Boston Bruins with his dad. Known as kind and soft-spoken, he seemed on his way to a promising future.

But during 2022, Fay’s mental health began to decline. Records from the Gilford police department show that police were called to their home six times to assist his family as they dealt with his mental health issues and behavior.

Then, on New Year’s Day, Mischa Fay’s mother called 911 to ask for help with her son, who was acting erratically and armed with a knife, according to public reports.

At 9:56 p.m. on New Year’s Day, 2023, two Gilford officers responded to the Fay home. Both had been there before and were aware of his mental health struggles. Yet within two minutes, Officer Nathan Ayotte had fired his Taser – apparently with little effect – and Sgt. Doug Wall had fired a single shot into Fay’s chest, killing him. He was 17 years old.

Nearly nine months after Fay was killed, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has yet to issue any report or ruling on whether the use of deadly force was justified.

It’s one of the clearest recent cases where a call for help during a mental health crisis led to a fatal police shooting, an ongoing pattern in New Hampshire.

More on this story here.