Man carrying an AR-15-style rifle arrested at Strafford County Superior Courthouse
DOVER NH Sept 25 2021 — A man who planned to walk into Strafford County Superior Courthouse carrying an AR-15-style rifle was arrested upon arriving in his car and after the court was put in lockdown Thursday, according to county Sheriff Mark Brave.
John Dicicco, 47 of Somersworth, was heading to family court to file paperwork. He was arrested on a separate warrant, not for carrying the weapon, Brave said.
A concerned citizen notified local law enforcement that Dicicco was en route to the courthouse, and that he was potentially armed, according to Brave.
The building was put on lockdown briefly until the sheriff’s office had detained Dicicco. Brave said Dicicco had an active capias warrant out for his arrest due to nonpayment of child support. The sheriff’s office arrested him for this warrant and for resisting arrest to place him in custody for the capias warrant. Brave emphasized Dicicco was not arrested or charged for trying to bring the firearm into the courthouse.
Strafford County Superior Courthouse in Dover.
“He left his vehicle with an AR-15 style assault rifle in one hand and a box of court paperwork in the other,” Brave said. “He did not make it in the building and he did not raise the weapon towards anyone. No one in the public was in jeopardy.”
Brave said that while it is legal and not unusual for people to bring a handgun up to security, it is extremely unusual to have someone bring an AR-15-style rifle. Brave said the court security supervisor confirmed they have never encountered a member of the public walking in with a long rifle to conduct court business, and they do not have lockers large enough to secure it at this time.
“You have a right to carry a firearm, but you can’t bring it into a courtroom or into the courthouse past security,” Brave said. “We have lock boxes up front, so people that carry a sidearm on them can secure their weapon. When the court security officer up front asks if you have any weapons or knives, you can either go back to your car to secure it, or we’ll secure it for you and you can get it on your way out. We don’t tell people you can’t bring weapons but, an AR-15 is not a normal thing we see.”
