Bristol, New Hampshire, Police Chief Kristopher Bean left home for a full week in late March. Before heading out, he parked his marked, department-issued vehicle in the driveway. He left his gun in a bedroom closet. He later told investigators he was rushing and didn’t lock it in a safe.

While he was gone, someone took the cruiser and the firearm. People in nearby Bridgewater started calling 911 after hearing gunshots. One caller reported flashing lights, sirens, and a voice over a loudspeaker. But dispatch logs showed no actual police were working in that area at the time.

After Bean returned home, state police reached out

They told him they believed his cruiser and weapon had been used during the Bridgewater incident. Bean then searched a vehicle connected to one of the unnamed suspects. Inside, he found a phone that held videos of the stolen cruiser. He gave the phone to investigators.

Local ABC affiliate News 9 Investigates used a right-to-know request to get the documents that laid all this out. Town officials had kept quiet about the situation until then. The records showed the town asked another police department to handle the internal investigation.

That investigation concluded Bean did not violate department policy. The report said he believed his home was a secure location. Still, the investigator recommended that Bean use better judgment when storing his weapon. Department rules make officers responsible for securing their firearms at all times.

The town placed Bean on paid leave for about a week during the review. He’s now back on the job. State police haven’t said whether the criminal investigation is still active. Residents near the gunfire said they were shaken but relieved no one was hurt.