UPDATE: Court documents detail domestic violence call to Salem official's home [The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.]

May 6—SALEM, N.H. — D.J. Bettencourt, a local Budget Committee member and deputy commissioner at the New Hampshire Insurance Department, was arrested and charged with domestic violence early Thursday morning.

Bettencourt's wife reported at 1:45 a.m. that her husband "physically pulled her out of bed after possibly seeing a text message on her phone," according to Salem police records.

Police were also told, "he has been drinking."

Dispatchers typically ask about any weapons involved and whether anyone else is present. In this case there were no weapons, but the couple's three children were nearby.

David J. "D.J." Bettencourt, 38, was subsequently charged with domestic violence; simple assault; physical contact and freed on personal recognizance bail.

He did not respond when contacted by a reporter Friday, however, his wife, Shannon Bettencourt, and an attorney representing him reached out to The Eagle-Tribune.

"This is a deeply personal matter and especially for the benefit of our three young children, please respect our privacy at this time," Shannon Bettencourt wrote in an email. "We do hope it's clear when this process plays out, that it's not as it may seem and I support and love my husband."

Attorney Tony Sculimbrene wrote in a separate message, "Mr. Bettencourt entered a plea of not guilty and maintains his innocence. He has been fully cooperative with the process and looks forward to resolving this matter in court. Out of respect for his family and to preserve the integrity of the justice system, Mr. Bettencourt will not be litigating this matter in the media or the court of public opinion."

An affidavit written by a Salem police officer states that although Bettencourt denied putting his hands on his wife, "she stated he absolutely grabbed her by both forearms and pulled her out of the bed while yelling at her."

The situation began when Bettencourt saw what he believed to be a message to or from another man on his wife's phone.

"Shannon stated they are currently going to marriage counseling and the message he was referring to was not a text message between anyone, it was in the 'notes' section of her phone and it was a diary of her thoughts," the affidavit reads.

Shannon Bettencourt told police that she was sleeping in a pull-out bed in her daughter's room, and she called police after her husband came back into the room 10 minutes after assaulting her, continuing to yell. He is accused of taking her phone and threatening to break it, then proceeding to throw it on the ground in the laundry room.

"(Shannon) stated he has never put his hands on her before and that is the reason she called the police tonight," the affidavit goes on.

Bettencourt has a long history of public service locally and at the state level.

Most recently, he was elected to a Charter Commission that will consider Salem's government structure. In March, he topped the ticket for re-election to the Budget Committee.

Gov. Chris Sununu last year approved Bettencourt's nomination as deputy commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department.

Also a former state representative, Bettencourt served as Sununu's policy director from 2017 until 2021.

He was first elected as a state representative in 2004 at the age of 20, and following the 2010 elections he became the nation's youngest House Majority Leader, and the youngest in New Hampshire history.

Bettencourt stepped away in 2012, at age 28, issuing a statement that cited personal and professional commitments that would prevent him from continuing his legislative career.

But the resignation came amid a scandal and public admission that Bettencourt had misrepresented work while pursuing a law degree from the University of New Hampshire law school.

___

(c)2022 The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.)

Visit The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.) at www.eagletribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.