By: E&P Staff Leeland Eisenberg, who held several campaign workers hostage all afternoon at a Hillary Clinton storefront in Rochester, N.H., surrendered to police at 6:15 this evening. Cable news caught the arrest as it happened, with Lee Eisenberg, in a white shirt and tie, emerging, going to his knees, getting handcuffed and taken to a police car.
No one was hurt in the entire affair. Three or four hostages had been released over time.
Police and the media have suggested that the man who took the hostages has had "issues" with local law enforcement. E&P has found one specific case involving the local man, who reputedly has some mental problems.
Back on March 16 this year, local media reported on
Rochester police coming up with a novel idea for fighting auto theft. But some residents -- including Eisenberg -- were outraged at their plan.
The plan: checking car doors, and if unlocked, leaving behind a warning flyer.
"It's an outrage, it's an absolute outrage," said Eisenberg in one report. He claimed the intrusion into his Chevy violates the Fourth Amendment, and raised such a fuss that his picture appeared in a local newspaper.
"That's a crime. They violated my civil rights and the rights of many citizens in this city that are not even aware of it," said Eisenberg, who was now asking state and federal authorities to investigate the Rochester police.
Eisenberg said he thinks police searched his car illegally, because it was clean when he parked it for the night and dirty with ash from the ashtray the next morning, when he found the flier.
He said he complained to the state attorney general, the governor and the U.S. attorney.
Police later said they were re-thinking the idea.
Foster's Daily Democrat reported late today: "Eisenberg, of 7 Brook Drive in Somersworth, was scheduled to appear at Strafford County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. today with his wife Lisa (Warren) Eisenberg for a final domestic violence hearing. Court officials were unable to provide the domestic complaint filed against Eisenberg.
"Divorce papers filed on Nov. 27 indicated Eisenberg was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, domestic related, and violation of a protective order. In the papers, Warren said the divorce was a result irreconcilable differences and complained that Eisenberg suffered from "severe alcohol and drug abuse, several verbal abuse and threats."
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Hostage.
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