A sad update on Officer Shot

 and prayers my heart is breaking for his family friends and comrads, whom he has left behind I can' tb  elieve he is gone

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- A police officer who was shot in the head early Monday morning has died, hospital officials said Tuesday.

Officer Michael Briggs, 35, was in critical condition since he was shot at the intersection of Lake Avenue and Lincoln Street at about 2:45 a.m. Monday. Family, friends and fellow officers kept a vigil by his bedside at Elliot Hospital. He was the first Manchester officer killed in the line of duty in 30 years.

Briggs, a five-year member of the Manchester Police Department, had a wife and two children. He was friends with Officer Jeremy Charron, an Epsom, N.H., officer who died in the line of duty on Aug. 24, 1997. Briggs was a pallbearer at Charron's funeral.

Michael Addison, 26, was accused of shooting Briggs and arraigned on fugitive charges Tuesday morning in Dorchester District Court in Boston. He was ordered held on $2 million bail and indicated that he would fight extradition back to New Hampshire.

Addison was charged with attempted murder, but Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday afternoon that the state would seek capital murder charges and push for the death penalty.

"Officer Briggs was doing his job to protect the citizens of this state," Ayotte said. "He deserves our respect, and he deserves the full protection of our laws."

Murdering a police officer is one of the limited number of crimes punishable by death in New Hampshire, which last executed someone in 1939 and has no one on death row.

The last person charged with capital murder was Charron's killer, who avoided the possibility by pleading guilty to first-degree murder.

Police undertook a massive manhunt after the shooting, identifying Addison as a suspect. He was arrested at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday at his grandmother's Dorchester home.

The Boston Herald reported that police were able to track Addison in part through his cell phone, using the global positioning system locater in the phone.

An outpouring of support for Briggs, his family and police followed Briggs' shooting, with residents showing up Manchester Police headquarters and flowers being placed at the site of the shooting. Messages were posted on the WMUR.com forums sharing messages of hope for Briggs's recovery.

Briggs had been honored for his heroism and, along with three other officers, was given a medal for rescuing several residents from a burning building in 2004.

Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta expressed his condolences to Briggs' family and declared an official period of mourning and ordered all flags in the city lowered to half-staff until the day after Briggs' funeral.

Gov. John Lynch called for American and state flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff. He said Addison should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The Manchester Police Patrolman's Association has set up a fund for the Briggs family. Anyone who wishes to donate can send a check to:

The MPPA Officer Briggs Family Benefit Fund
c/o Members First Credit Union
PO Box 896
Manchester, N.H. 03105

Donations can also be made at any Members First Credit Union branches.