Police: Keene man assaulted woman multiple times, causing bruising

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Caleb Symons, The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
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Feb. 15—A Keene man was arrested last week after police say he assaulted a woman on three separate occasions, including in at least one incident that caused her to seek medical attention.

Keene police arrested Stephen Matthew Ripple, 38, Thursday and charged him with three counts of simple assault, a misdemeanor, according to Lt. Benjamin Nugent.

Nugent said the woman, who is known to Ripple, called police from the Cheshire Medical Center emergency room at approximately 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, saying that Ripple had pushed her against a wall and thrust his forearm into her neck several hours earlier.

The woman also told police that Ripple had pushed her off a couch and into a wall, causing bruising on her forearm, and had slammed her hand in a door in two separate incidents Feb. 5, according to Nugent.

Nugent said officers who responded to Cheshire Medical saw bruises on the woman's left forearm and knuckles consistent with her account of the alleged incidents. They did not observe any more serious injuries, he said.

Nugent said Keene police arrested Ripple Thursday night. He was held at the Cheshire County jail in Keene overnight and released Friday.

No court date had been scheduled yet for Ripple's case as of Friday evening, Nugent said.

Caleb Symons can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1420, or csymons@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @CalebSymonsKS.

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