Chief Charles Knowles
1915 - 1973

58 years old
Tour of Duty: 30 years
Died on August 12, 1973

Cause of Death: Heart Attack-Struggle

Date of Incident: TSunday, August 12, 1973

Weapon Used :Physical Force

Suspect Info: Female Unknown

Chief Knowles was a thirty-year veteran of the Seabrook Police Department. He was also a fourteen-year veteran of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department. He was born in Seabrook, New Hampshire, and was a member of the National Chiefs of Police Association and the Rockingham County Law Enforcement Association.

On the evening of August 12, 1973, Chief Knowles stopped a vehicle on Lafayette Road in Seabrook and attempted to arrest the driver for driving while intoxicated. The driver resisted the Chief’s efforts to arrest him and a scuffle ensued in front of the Prescott Farms Grocery Store. At this point an eighteen year-old woman, who was a passenger in the vehicle, kicked the Chief during the scuffle.

Chief Knowles suffered a fatal heart attack during the incident. He was 58 years old.

He was survived by his wife, two sons and one daughter.