Fugitive Chooses Peace Over Violence

Concord, NH – The U.S. Marshals Service – NH Joint Fugitive Task Force is pleased to announce that Dec. 21 “Fugitive of the Week,” Paul Tasker, is no longer at large. After an extensive media campaign inspired intense public pressure, Tasker turned himself in to the Belknap Sheriff’s Department and is finally serving the sentence he had been avoiding since November, while also facing new charges. 

Tasker, 46, failed to appear for sentencing in a 2016 case where he threatened the public by chambering a rifle and firing in the direction of a mother and her three kids. A convicted felon for a similar charge, Tasker was prohibited from possessing firearms in the first place. His repeated failures to comply with federal firearm prohibition-person laws earned Tasker the label of armed and dangerous and initiated a robust media campaign, including a feature on the nationally televised On Patrol: Live. Ultimately, Tasker surrendered and informed Belknap Sheriff’s Deputies he didn’t want to “die in a shootout with the Marshals.” 

“The U.S. Marshals Service cares deeply about the safety and wellbeing of the people in the communities we serve, and this sentiment extends to the fugitives we are tasked with bringing to justice,” states Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Katherine Burns. “This case should be noted for the compelling force of a concerned public rather than the threat of deadly violence, and we are pleased with the safe resolution of this case.”    

Tasker had been aired as the “Fugitive of the Week” on WTPL-FM, WNTK-FM, WTSN-FM, WEMJ-FM, The Union Leader, The Nashua Telegraph, The Patch, Foster’s Daily Democrat, Manchester Information, the Manchester Ink Link, the Rochester Voice and prominently featured on the internet. The “Fugitive of the Week” has been a very successful tool, resulting in the location and arrest of numerous fugitives since 2007.  "Additionally, the “Fugitive of the Week” was distributed throughout the New Hampshire law enforcement network. 

Since the inception of the U.S. Marshals - New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, these partnerships have resulted in over 8,589 arrests. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 8 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.