The search for the gunman behind last October’s mass shooting in Maine was chaotic, according to an after-action report obtained by The Associated Press. Officers rushed to secure the scene where the shooter had left his car after killing 18 people, with some officers showing up without orders, potentially causing harm. There were incidents of nearly crashing armored vehicles, officers showing up in civilian clothes that resembled the suspect, and reports of officers smelling of alcohol. The chaos included self-dispatching officers and federal involvement in plain clothes. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office denied reports of intoxicated officers.
The report, obtained through the state’s Freedom of Access Act, describes how both the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Police Department tactical teams responded to the abandoned vehicle near the Androscoggin River after the shooting at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston. The shooter, an Army reservist, killed 18 people and wounded 13 others before dying by suicide. The commission investigating the shooting intends to address some of the report’s allegations, while others, such as those related to drinking, may be outside their scope. The panel reconvenes to further investigate communication and coordination issues.
The Portland Police Department report was critical of self-dispatching officers who potentially created a dangerous situation by showing up in plain clothes similar to the suspect’s clothing. The report suggests that officers could have mistaken each other for the suspect and exchanged fire in a wooded area near the abandoned vehicle. Tactical vehicles from the Cumberland Sheriff’s Office and Portland police were apparently not aware of each other’s presence, leading to potential risks. The chaos of the search for the gunman after the mass shooting highlighted the need for better communication and coordination among law enforcement agencies.
The chaotic search for the gunman in Maine included near collisions between armored vehicles, reports of officers arriving in civilian clothes that resembled the suspect, and allegations of officers smelling of alcohol. The report obtained by the AP through the state’s Freedom of Access Act detailed the challenges faced by law enforcement in the aftermath of the mass shooting, including self-dispatching officers and federal involvement in plain clothes. The commission investigating the shooting plans to address some of the report’s disturbing allegations, with a focus on improving communication and coordination among responding agencies.
The incident on October 25, which left 18 people dead and 13 wounded, culminated in the gunman’s suicide near the Androscoggin River after a shooting at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston. The chaos of the search for the gunman highlighted the need for better organization and training among law enforcement agencies, with the Portland Police Department report criticizing self-dispatching officers and officers showing up in civilian clothes that could have led to accidental friendly fire. The commission investigating the shooting is set to reconvene to further examine communication and coordination issues during the search for the shooter.
The search for the gunman behind last October’s mass shooting in Maine was marked by confusion and disorganization, with reports of officers nearly crashing armored vehicles, showing up in civilian clothes resembling the suspect, and potentially being intoxicated. The chaos of the search, as detailed in the report obtained through the state’s Freedom of Access Act, revealed the need for better communication and coordination among law enforcement agencies. The commission investigating the shooting plans to address some of the report’s allegations while also focusing on improving responses to similar incidents in the future.
