"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of New Hampshire State Police Sgt. James Noyes

The story of James Noyes epitomizes the selfless courage that is displayed on a regular basis by SWAT officers across our nation.

New Hampshire State Police Sgt. James Noyes

McLean, VA (June 24, 2025) - On October 3, 1994, an elderly man named James Monsante, who had been grieving over the death of his wife earlier that year, was on the verge of suicide. His son contacted police and told them about the stash of guns his father kept in the home. After Monsante refused to be taken to the hospital for an evaluation, the New Hampshire State Police SWAT team, led by Sgt. James Noyes, was called in to negotiate a peaceful end to the standoff. Sgt. Noyes spent most of the night talking to Monsante through an open window and negotiations seemed to be going well. But as dawn approached, Monsante became despondent again and appeared on the verge of shooting himself or others. Police decided to take action. As Sgt. Noyes dropped a percussion grenade through the window to give other officers time to move in, Monsante fired several blasts from an assault rifle, killing the 17-year police veteran. He then fired two more blasts, killing his dog, Bandit, and then himself. The police were just doing their job. They wanted to save a man’s life. Only this time, their mission failed. Listen to the podcast to learn more: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/heroes-live-forever-the-story