Former New Hampshire cop accused of racially motivated assault on Black bank executive outside a diner
Aaron Goodwin is accused of yanking the 49-year-old to the ground, causing him to lose consciousness
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The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has filed a civil complaint against a former police officer who is accused of violently attacking a Black banking executive outside a diner last year in what officials say was a racially motivated incident.
In November 2023, Mamadou Dembele, a 49-year-old Black man, entered Gilley’s Diner in Portsmouth to pick up a take-out order after spending time in a cigar bar. Inside the restaurant, he came into contact with former Portsmouth Police Officer Aaron Goodwin, 45, his brother, Kevin, 42, and sister-in-law Shannon, 38, all of whom are white.
After noticing Dembele’s accent, Shannon asked the man where he was from. He replied: “Africa.” Kevin reportedly called the man a “moron,” adding that Africa was a continent not a country. Dembele didn’t respond, the complaint states.
The former officer apparently then told Dembele he smelled bad. Dembele told him that he had come from a cigar bar and handed the man a cigar he had purchased earlier that night.
Kevin Goodwin then became angry, the complaint states, and asked his brother why he was speaking to a “f****** moron,” stating Dembele was “too poor to afford a good cigar.” Kevin said the cigar was a “blunt,” explaining to the group that is “when Black people mix tobacco with marijuana and smoke it.”
Dembele did not respond. The Goodwins soon left with their food.
Dembele, too, took his food and exited the restaurant. He then encountered the group in the parking lot, security footage shows. Kevin Goodwin reportedly spotted Dembele and told him to leave. At that point, Dembele asked the man what his problem was, the filing states. Shannon then started shouting at him and allegedly called him a racial slur.
Dembele continued to ask what was wrong and told the group he had done nothing to them. As the confrontation escalated, two young men, one Black and one Asian, entered the parking lot and were walking up the stairs to the restaurant when they noticed the exchange.
As they watched, Shannon, court filings state, began berating them and calling them racial slurs. She then became so aggressive with Dembele she needed to be physically restrained, the documents state. Aaron then approached Dembele and pulled him to the ground using the back of his shirt, security footage shows. Dembele’s head hit the ground, causing him to temporarily lose consciousness.
The two young men went to help him but were allegedly held back by the Goodwins. Kevin Goodwin shoved his arm into the young Black man’s shoulder and chest to keep him from Dembele, filings state. Shannon then continued to call the bystander names, including a racial slur. She then hit the young Black man in the face and chest, the filing states.
Dembele regained consciousness, got on his feet and told the bystanders not to engage further. A restaurant employee exited the building and announced she was calling police.
The group told the officer they thought Dembele was in a gang based on hand movements they had seen. Aaron Goodwin, the former cop, told officers the attack was not racially motivated. He later made several statements to the police and press, claiming he acted in self-defense.
But a restaurant employee told a Portsmouth officer the group had attacked Dembele because of his race, noting the racial slurs she heard leveled against the men.
In March, the two brothers were each charged with one count of assault and one count of disorderly conduct. Shannon remains wanted for three counts of simple assault and disorderly conduct.
In August, Kevin Goodwin pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to pay a $500 fine and $120 penalty assessment. The following month, Aaron Goodwin pleaded guilty to assault. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail but didn’t serve the term after agreeing to an anger management evaluation and completing 20 hours of community service.
The Attorney General’s Office is asking that the men pay a $5,000 fine for each violation of the state’s Civil Rights Act. The office has cited four violations per defendant in the complaint.
The office is also seeking a three-year temporary restraining order prohibiting the Goodwins from going within 350 feet of Dembele, his home, place of work, or the diner.
Dembele, a regional market manager within the Consumer Banking Department of the Bangor Savings Bank, has filed a federal lawsuit against Aaron. He is seeking damages above $75,000, including attorney fees and costs.
Dembele sought medical care after the incident and was diagnosed with a concussion, wrist sprain, and injury to his achilles tendon.
The Independent emailed an attorney for Aaron and contacted Kevin and Shannon for comment.
An attorney for Dembele is asking witnesses to the crime to come forward. “We ask that the two unidentified witnesses who attempted to aid Mr Dembele, who are depicted in the images in our federal court complaint, and who are also described in the AG’s state court complaint, come forward to assist Mr Dembele and the AG’s office in their respective matters.
“We ask that anyone with information about their identities come forward,” the emailed statement read.