Sgt. James S. Noyes
1954 - 1994

40 years old
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Died on October 3, 1994

Cause of Death: Gunshot

Date of Incident: Monday, October 3, 1994

Weapon Used : Rifle

Suspect Info: Committed Suicide after Trooper Shot

Sergeant James Noyes was a 17-year veteran of the New Hampshire State Police. He was 1972 graduate of Haverhill High School in Haverhill, Massachusetts and a 1976 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston and held a B.S. in Sociology. During his tenure with the New Hampshire State Police, he also worked with the Major Crime Unit and Narcotics Unit prior to his assignment in the S.W.A.T. Team.

Sergeant Noyes, head of the SWAT team, was at home with his family when he heard about a standoff in Gilford, New Hampshire, involving a despondent man who had lost his wife earlier in the year. The suspect was barricaded in his home.

Sergeant Noyes responded with the team in the hopes that, as an expert hostage negotiator, he could talk him into putting down his weapon. While Sergeant Noyes was outside the building speaking to him, the man fired several shots. One shot struck him in the wrist and the second struck him under the left arm, bypassing his vest.

The suspect then committed suicide.

Sergeant Noyes had been with the agency for 17 years and was survived by his wife, daughter, and two sons.

His oldest son followed in his footsteps and joined the New Hampshire State Police in December 2001.