The search for the perpetrator responsible for the mass shooting in Maine last October was characterized by complete disorder. According to an after-action report obtained by The Associated Press, there were instances of deputies, who had been drinking, almost causing a collision with their armored vehicle. Additionally, some law enforcement officers arrived at the scene dressed in civilian clothing, which could have led to confusion and mistaken identity.
The Portland Police Department report details the swift response of officers as they raced to secure the area where the shooter had abandoned his car following the tragic killing of 18 individuals in the deadliest shooting in the state. Nicholas Goodman, the leader of the tactical team, expressed in the report that the officers who arrived without any specific orders took a risk that could have potentially exacerbated the situation rather than helping.
According to Goodman, a second tactical team from Cumberland County was also responding to the incident and almost collided with his vehicle.
“It screeched to a sudden stop, its tires emitting a sound reminiscent of a heavily loaded 18-wheeler coming to an abrupt halt,” he explained. “I would estimate that the armored car came dangerously close, within a distance of 20-30 feet, to colliding with our own armored car, potentially resulting in multiple casualties.”
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The occupants of the Cumberland vehicle told him they had come from a funeral, and he could smell the aroma of intoxicants wafting from it.
According to Goodman, in his entire career, he had never witnessed such a high level of self-dispatching and federal involvement, coupled with complete chaos and confusion amongst those self-dispatching in plain clothes.
Maine shooter Olivia Babin reportedly changed her clothes and got rid of the gun before making the call to 911, while her boyfriend lay dying, according to the District Attorney.
Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce stated in a previous statement that his officers were cleared of any wrongdoing in an internal investigation. He emphasized that there was no evidence of intoxication among the officers at the scene. Sheriff Joyce also highlighted the importance of addressing any concerns or allegations of intoxicated officers immediately, rather than waiting six months to raise them.
According to Daniel Wathen, the chairperson of the independent commission investigating the shooting, the panel will address certain “disturbing allegations” mentioned in the report. However, Wathen also mentioned that there are some allegations, such as those related to drinking, which may fall outside the commission’s scope.
The AP obtained the nine-page report, which was partially redacted, through the state’s Freedom of Access Act.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Police Department tactical teams were dispatched to the area where the shooter’s vehicle had been left near the Androscoggin River on the evening of October 25th. This occurred after the Army reservist gunman carried out a devastating attack, resulting in the deaths of 18 individuals and the injury of 13 others at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston. The lifeless body of the gunman was discovered in close proximity to the scene two days later, indicating that he had taken his own life.
The commission has already received testimony from law enforcement officials regarding the tumultuous hours following the shooting, during which various agencies were mobilized for a search and police officers flooded into the area. Witness accounts on communications and coordination issues will be heard when the panel convenes again on Friday.
The Portland report strongly criticized the practice of self-dispatching officers. According to the report, officers who arrived at the scene in plain clothes, wearing clothing similar to the suspect, created a hazardous situation. This situation had the potential for officers to mistakenly engage in a firefight with each other in a wooded area near the abandoned vehicle.
The Cumberland Sheriff’s Office and Portland police were apparently unaware of each other’s presence during the incident. The Portland team arrived first near the location of the gunman’s vehicle and tried to prevent police cruisers from going onto a bridge where the officers’ lights could make them easy targets.
