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Archive for the ‘MAINE’ Category
Hostages Released After Corrections Officials Lose Control Of Maine State Prison
July 2nd, 2008
WARREN, MAINE - Two hostages held by a knife-wielding prisoner with a high-profile criminal history were released Monday night after a seven-hour standoff at the Maine State Prison. The prisoner, Michael Chasse of Lewiston, was returned to custody, officials said.
The incident began at 2:30 p.m. inside the facility that confines the state’s most serious offenders. It was resolved at around 10 p.m. after state police tactical teams and negotiators with the Department of Corrections had spent hours at the scene.
The hostages, whose names were not released, were described by Associate Corrections Department Commissioner Denise Lord as an inmate and a staff member. Officials said the hostages suffered “minimal or no injury.”
Few details were immediately available about how the situation ended. Gov. John Baldacci said he was “thankful that the crisis has ended without loss of life.”
Emergency family contacts for the hostages were notified, and the prison was secured, officials said.
Read MoreMaine Prepares To Post Information On All State Prison Inmates And Those On Probation On The Web
June 28th, 2008
AUGUSTA, MAINE — Maine’s top elected officials reacted with surprise Monday to word that the state Corrections Department is preparing an online list of all state prison inmates and others who are on probation for any offense.
Gov. John Baldacci said the list will not be posted on the Web without a thorough public review.
The Corrections Department’s Web site, which was to include information on roughly 10,000 people, was expected to go on line in six weeks to two months. Officials see it as an aid to police, who would have up-to-date and instant information on a suspect’s probation status, and to crime victims, who could find out whether perpetrators are behind bars.
But Baldacci said he had not been briefed on the program and does not want it to go forward until he, the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, and those affected by the plan have a chance to present their views, the governor’s spokesman David Farmer said.
Read MoreMan Sentenced In Kennebec County Maine Superior Court To 9 Months In Jail After Women Visits Him In Jail - Judge And County Officials Seen Standing Around A Huge Bonfire Watching Our Tax Dollars Go Up In Smoke
June 25th, 2008
AUGUSTA, MAINE — As soon as an inmate from Vassalboro had a visitor at the Kennebec County jail in Augusta, he was violating a court order.
Marshall Crandall IV, of Vassalboro, was sentenced to serve nine months in jail Tuesday at a Kennebec County Superior Court hearing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of violating conditions of release for having contact with the visitor.
Crandall, 39, had been arrested April 4 and charged with domestic assault. That charge was dropped Tuesday in exchange for his plea to violating the court order.
A condition of release on the domestic assault charge banned him from contact with the woman — the same woman who visited him at the jail.
The violations occurred April 5, 10 and 15, when the woman named as the assault victim visited Crandall, according to jail records.
Read MorePortland Maine Police Officer Brian Regan Pleads Not guilty After Attacking His Wife
June 13th, 2008
PORTLAND, MAINE - A Portland police officer has pleaded not guilty to two felony and three misdemeanor charges arising from an alleged assault on his wife at their Westbrook home in March.
Thirty-nine-year-old Brian Regan, who maintains that he acted in self-defense, entered his pleas Tuesday in Cumberland County Superior Court.
He faces charges of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, criminal threatening with a firearm, domestic violence assault, criminal threatening and assault.
Regan, who has been on administrative leave with pay, remains free on $500 bail. Appeared Here
Knox And Lincoln County Maine Deputies Not Charged After Taser Weapon Misuse Use At Bachelor Party
May 17th, 2008
Maine’s attorney general and the county district attorney launched an investigation after video surfaced of the incident last Labor Day weekend in which a deputy was shocked with a Taser before being hogtied and paraded around town in the back of a pickup.
On the video, the groom-to-be drops to the ground after being Tasered. Then the other men bind him and cover him with oil and feathers.
The Knox County sheriff is still reviewing the incident. A Lincoln County deputy has been disciplined for lending the Taser that was used at the party. Appeared Here
Suspended Veteran Portland Maine Police Officer Brian Regan Indicted After Attacking His Wife In Domestic Violence Incident
May 10th, 2008
PORTLAND, MAINE - A 14-year veteran of the Portland Police Department has been indicted on five charges arising from an alleged assault on his wife at their Westbrook home in March.
Brian Regan faces felony charges of reckless conduct with a weapon and criminal threatening with a weapon. He was also indicted on misdemeanor counts of assault, criminal threatening and domestic violence assault.
The 39-year-old Regan maintains that his wife, Heidi, attacked him and he acted in self-defense. Heidi Regan did not return a call seeking comment.
Since his arrest, Brian Regan has been on administrative leave with pay.
Another Internal Lorain Police Document Surfaces: Officer Ronald Turnick Receives Less Than A Slap On The Wrist After Totally Ignoring Armed Robbery Victim
May 9th, 2008
LORAIN, OHIO - When it rains it pours. A new source came through with additional documents.
[Received update: "Ronald Turnick resigned from the Lorain Police Dept 2 years ago. He is now a State Trooper in Maine. All in Maine should be warned"]
Bad Cop News may not be the award winning (Asshole of the Month) police chief Cel Rivera’s favorite web site (yet), but we’ll eventually be the department’s primary off-site document storage site.
Judging by the number of emails received in the week from concerned parties, Rivera’s mismanaged department will soon implode. It seems like they’d dump this chump, but with city council members (like Dan Given) kissing the chief’s ass, and an extended network of similar ass-kissers, Rivera will take his sinking ship to the botttom.
Read MoreThought Police: Maine Bows To Hysteria And Trys To Criminalize Opening One’s Eyes In Public If Children Are Present
April 13th, 2008
MAINE - Those who peer at children in public could find themselves on the wrong side of the law in Maine soon.
A bill that passed the House last month aims to strengthen the crime of visual sexual aggression against children, according to state Rep. Dawn Hill, D-York.
Her involvement started when Ogunquit Police Lt. David Alexander was called to a local beach to deal with a man who appeared to be observing children entering the community bathrooms. Because the state statute prevents arrests for visual sexual aggression of a child in a public place, Alexander said he and his fellow officer could only ask the man to move along.
“There was no violation of law that we could enforce. There was nothing we could charge him with,” Alexander said.
Read MoreKnox County Maine Deputy Sheriff’s Bachelor Party Included Many Deputies, Taser Weapon, Handcuffs, Duct Tape, Oil, Feathers, Lawn Chair, Hog Tying, And Flatbed Truck Parade Downtown
April 11th, 2008
KNOX COUNTY, MAINE - A bachelor party last summer for a Knox County sheriff’s deputy where the groom-to-be was shot with an electroshock weapon, handcuffed, hog-tied with duct tape, oiled and feathered, and paraded through downtown Camden strapped to a lawn chair on the back of a flatbed truck, is under investigation by Sheriff Donna Dennison.
Video Here
“Frankly, I’m ashamed,” Dennison said Thursday when contacted by VillageSoup about a video it had received.
In the video, approximately 10 men are seen outdoors at what appears to be a private property, where drinking was involved. Many of the participants are identifiable as Knox County sheriff’s deputies. Someone in the crowd zaps the groom-to-be with an electroshock weapon, commonly referred to by its brand name Taser, and other men join in to do the rest of the hazing-like job.
Read MoreComplaint Filed After Waldoboro Police Officer Chief William Labombarde And Officer Lance Mitchell Attack Sleeping Mentally Ill Man In His Bed, Pepper Spraying Handcuffed Victim
March 26th, 2008
WALDOBORO, MAINE - A formal complaint has been lodged against the Waldoboro Police Department for the way an arrest of a mentally handicapped man was handled on March 18. The General Complaint Form was filed with the town office.
According to Bonnie Penney, her son Russell VonAa, 26, was sleeping in his upstairs bedroom at the two story Winslow Mills home they share when Officer Lance Mitchell and Police Chief William Labombarde knocked at the door and asked VonAa’s great aunt, Faith LaVorgna, if they could talk with him.
“They basically tackled him. He was asleep in bed,” said VonAa’s stepmother Linda Papineau. VonAa had already taken a sleeping pill and was sound asleep, Penney said.
LaVorgna said that at the sound of commotion, she was the first to run upstairs, where she found that Mitchell and Labombarde had jumped on the bed and broken it and put a hole in the wall while handcuffing VonAa, who by this time was in a panic because he did not know what was going on, Penney said.
Read MorePortland Maine Police Officer Brian Regan Arrested, Suspended, Charged After Domestic Incident Involving A Gun
March 22nd, 2008
WESTBROOK, ME - A Portland police officer free on bail has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested by Westbrook police Tuesday on charges of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence assault.
Officer Brian Regan, 39, was arrested near his house in Westbrook after his wife called the Portland police early Tuesday morning seeking assistance with a domestic violence incident, said Westbrook police Chief Bill Baker.
Regan has been ordered to relinquish his police identification and weapon. As a condition of his bail, he is not to have contact with the victim.
The victim has made allegations of physical abuse and discharge of a firearm. She is currently receiving support services.
Regan has been employed by the Portland Police Department for 14 years. In 2002, he was suspended by the department for six months after being indicted for police brutality. He was acquitted after a criminal trial.
Read MoreFryeburg Maine Police Officer Dustin Reininger Arrested, Charged After Threatening His Wife With A Gun
March 22nd, 2008
FRYEBURG, ME — The York County sheriff’s department said it arrested a part-time Fryeburg police officer earlier this week.
Dustin Reininger, 35, is charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.
The sheriff’s department said Reininger’s wife accused him of threatening her with a gun at their home in Lyman.
Reininger was taken to the York County jail where he posted $1,000 bail.
Reininger’s arrest marks the second time this week a Maine police officer has been jailed in connection with a domestic dispute.
On Tuesday night, Portland police officer Brian Regan was arrested on charges he assaulted his wife and discharged a gun at their home.
Westbrook Maine Lawmakers Single Out Town’s Only Tattoo Artist For Harassment
March 14th, 2008
WESTBROOK, MAINE - City leaders in Westbrook are considering an ordinance that would hold tattoo artists to higher moral standards than most other businesses.
There is only one tattoo studio in the city, and the owner said the ordinance singles him out.
Jamey Hodgdon, who owns the Death or Glory tattoo parlor, told News 8, “I don’t really think it can impact me. I follow all the state guidelines, rules and regulations pertaining to tattooing the state requires, and I feel that is sufficient.”
Some city officials argued that because personal contact is involved, tattoo artists should meet certain legal and moral standards and should undergo background checks.
Taxi drivers and massage therapists already must meet similar requirements in order to operate in the city.
City Councilor Michael Foley explained, “We would hope they are all like him (Hodgdon), and that is what this is going to help protect — to make sure we have the same type of people like him.”
Read MoreNo 1st Amendment In Maine: Crazed Court Finds Kid Guilty Of Writing Music, Lyrics And Making CD - To Be Jailed For Two Years
March 12th, 2008
BUCKSPORT, MAINE - A Bucksport teenager who was expelled from school for making a compact disc with lyrics containing graphic descriptions of a school shooting has been found guilty of a juvenile charge of terrorizing.
18-year-old Jonathan Hayes will remain in custody until he turns 20. Officials say he will likely remain at Mountain View Youth Development Center in Charleston, where he is already serving time for an unrelated robbery.
Hayes and fellow student Colton Crane were 17-year-old members of the band Double S Rydas when they wrote and performed songs on the CD, including “Shotgun Killing Spree.” It described a shooting spree inside a high school and specifically mentioned the shooting of the principal and vice principal as well as teachers and students.
The lyrics referred to Colorado’s Columbine High School and, at the end of the song, to Bucksport High School, which Hayes and Crane attended.
Read MoreLawsuit Charges Crazed Rockland Maine Police Officer William Smith With Beating Deaf Severely Mentally Handicapped Man - Recording So-Called “Confession” From Drugged Man At Hospital To Justify Beating And Arrest - Victim’s Injuries Required Knee Replacement, Rods In Leg, And 4 Operations To Repair Bladder
February 21st, 2008
PORTLAND, MAINE - The sister and guardian of a Rockland man has filed a lawsuit against the city of Rockland, the present and most-recent past police chiefs, and officer William Smith claiming deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of civilians and claiming use of excessive force, among other allegations.
Judith Steeves of Rockland is the sister and legal guardian of 58-year-old Gary W. Ames, also of Rockland. According to the court document, Ames is “severely mentally handicapped and deaf, wearing hearing aids in both ears.”
Steeves is seeking a jury trial, naming the city of Rockland, former Police Chief Alfred Ockenfels, current Police Chief Bruce Boucher and Smith. She is represented by attorney Andrews B. Campbell of Bowdoinham.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Portland on Feb. 15 and made public on Wednesday. Boucher and Smith declined to comment Wednesday, both citing that they had not yet seen the lawsuit or been served a summons.
Read MoreU.S. Border Patrol Officer Steven A. Hinkley Arrested, Charged With Raping Coworker, Threatening To Kill Her And Her Children If She Reported The Rape
January 23rd, 2008
SKOWHEGAN, MAINE — A Customs and Border Protection officer is accused of twice raping a coworker and threatening to kill her and her children if she reported the crime.
Steven A. Hinkley, 39, of Greenville, went to the home of a coworker in February of 2007 and forced her to have sex, according to an affidavit signed by Maine State Police Detective Scott A. Bryant.
Three weeks later, Hinkley again went to the woman’s home and raped her, according to the affidavit. He told the victim that if she reported the crime, he would kill her and her children and then hang himself in his barn.
When police later questioned Hinkley about the incident, he said he had twice had consensual sex with the woman, according to the affidavit.
Reached Tuesday afternoon, Hinkley’s attorney, Paul Sumberg, said his client is a good father and 17-year law enforcement veteran who is distraught at the accusations.
Read MoreCrazed Ellsworth Maine Police Grasp At Straws, Try To Confiscate Man’s Winning Lottery Ticket - Potential Legal Fight Could Cost Many Times Lottery Ticket’s Value
January 22nd, 2008
ELLSWORTH, MAINE - Police in Ellsworth, Maine, are trying to confiscate a drug suspect’s winning lottery ticket because they say it’s the proceeds of a crime.
Insanity In Ellsworth: Cost To Clean Up Mess From Broken ‘Green’ CFL Bulb, $2,000 Each
Michael David, 46, was charged with selling an undercover cop four 10-mg methadone pills. He’s accused of pocketing $60 during the sale, and police say he used part of the proceeds to purchase a lottery ticket that was worth $1,000.
“I guess it will be up to a judge to decide, but it’s in our possession right now as proceeds from a drug transaction,” Ellsworth Police Chief John Deleo tells the Bangor Daily News.
Michigan Finally Stops Issuing Drivers Licenses To Wetbacks - Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, And Washington Continue To Kiss Border-Jumpers Asses
January 22nd, 2008
LANSING, MICHIGAN - Michigan will no longer let illegal immigrants get driver’s licenses, a practice just seven other states continue to allow.
Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, who oversees the motor vehicle department, announced the new policy Monday and said it takes effect Tuesday.
The new policy also prohibits people who are legal but not permanent U.S. residents from getting licenses. Legislation to allow those on temporary work or student visas to get licenses is pending in the Legislature.
The change is aimed at complying with an opinion issued last month by Attorney General Mike Cox, who said granting licenses to illegal immigrants is inconsistent with federal law. Opinions by the attorney general’s office are legally binding on state agencies and officers unless reversed by the courts.
The new policy applies to first-time applicants for a Michigan driver’s license or identification card. Updated procedures for renewals will be released soon.
Read MoreMaine State Fire Marshal’s Office Spends 2007 Collecting Novelty Lighters - Our Tax Dollars At Work
January 20th, 2008
MAINE - The State Fire Marshal’s Office will hold a news conference Tuesday to support a ban of the sale of novelty cigarette lighters in Maine, according to the Department of Public safety.
A collection of novelty lighters was purchased at Maine stores during the past year.
Some emit a flame four inches high, and adults and children have been burned using them, department spokesman Stephen McCausland reported Friday.
The news conference will take place in the Statehouse, Hall of Flags, at 2:30 p.m.
South Portland Maine Police Officer Kevin Gerrish Appeals After Losing Taser Weapon Attack And Beating Case
January 11th, 2008
SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE - A South Portland police officer who lost an excessive-force lawsuit over his use of a Taser stun gun is appealing the decision in federal court.
Kevin Gerrish is asking an appeals court to rule that he did not violate Stephen Parker’s constitutional rights when he used the Taser against him in 2005, according to Gerrish’s lawyer, Edward Benjamin. The officer was trying to arrest Parker for drunken driving, and the surge of electricity forced Parker to fall to the ground.
Read MoreNutcase State Of Maine Revenue Services Officials Illegally Charge Out Of State Residents Sales Tax On Planes For Landing In State - Use Internet To Track Private Planes
December 29th, 2007
PORTLAND, MAINE - When Steve Kahn got a $26,000 tax bill on his airplane, he thought Maine Revenue Services had made a mistake. Kahn lives, works, and keeps his plane in Massachusetts.
But the bill was no error. It was part of the agency’s efforts to collect taxes on aircraft owned by out-of-state residents, even though they bought their planes elsewhere and brought them to Maine only to visit.
A number of other states, from Florida to Washington, are doing the same as they grapple with budget shortfalls and as the Internet makes it easier to track the comings and goings of aircraft.
Many pilots are outraged.
“At best what Maine is doing is underhanded and devious; at worst it is illegal,” Kahn said. “Either way, it’s wrong.”
Maine officials say they are simply enforcing the state’s laws when they send bills, into six figures, to out-of-state plane owners.
Read MoreDrunk Penobscot County Maine Triangle Fire Chief Russell Banks Arrested, Charged After Racing Firetruck Around With Lights And Siren
December 14th, 2007
BURLINGTON, MAINE—A fire chief in Penobscot County has been charged with being drunk behind the wheel while driving a fire truck with its lights on and its sirens going.
Russell Banks of Burlington was arrested around midnight Saturday after a resident complained that Banks was racing a fire tanker by his home even though there was no fire in the area.
The 34-year-old Banks is chief of the Triangle Fire Department, a volunteer association that provides service for Burlington, Lowell and Grand Falls Township.
When a Penobscot County sheriff’s deputy responded, he located the truck and noticed that Banks smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes. A blood alcohol test showed Banks was at twice the legal limit.
Deputy Chief Troy Morton said the resident told police that Banks was blasting his siren in retaliation for a neighborhood dispute.
Banks could not be reached for comment.
Read MoreLawsuit Charges Auburn Maine Police Officer Barry Schmieks With Running Red Light While On Duty And Crashing Into Innocent Motorist
December 10th, 2007
AUBURN, MAINE—A Lewiston man has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from a car accident he claims was caused by an Auburn police officer running a red light and crashing into his car.
Vincent Thomas filed the complaint in Androscoggin County Superior Court against Barry Schmieks.
In his suit, Thomas claims Schmieks was negligent for failing to stop for a red light in October 2006. The suit also says the city of Auburn is liable because Schmieks was on duty at the time.
Thomas is seeking damages for pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses, loss of earnings and loss of enjoyment of life.
In his response to the suit, Schmieks denied negligence in the accident.
Moron U.S. FDA And Maine Department Of Agriculture Officials Think Americans With Egg Alergies Are Too Stupid To Know There Are Eggs In Egg Nog
November 18th, 2007
PORTLAND, MAINE - When your family owns and operates a place called Smiling Hill Farm, you tend to go through life with a grin. But last week, the best Warren Knight could manage was a grimace.
It started with a spot inspection from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — it happens every year or two at the Westbrook dairy farm and has never been a big deal.
But this time was different. Looking over a fresh batch of the Smiling Hill egg nog, the inspector did a double take: The bottle cap — the only place on the otherwise all-glass container with any printing — was out of federal compliance.
How so?
“Eggs were not listed as an ingredient,” Knight recalled.
Egg, you see, is an allergen. As such, the inspector told Knight, it must be explicitly listed as an ingredient somewhere on the one-and-three-eighths-inch-wide cap.
Read MoreFederal Lawsuit Charges 4 Gorham Maine Police Officers With Brutal Beating In Which Victim Was Punched, Clubbed, And Pepper Sprayed - Dash Cam Shows Police Were The Aggressors
November 14th, 2007
GORHAM, MAINE - A Gorham man is suing the town and its police in federal court, alleging that he was beaten by four officers after a traffic stop last year.
Steven Johnson says in court papers that he was riding in a car that was pulled over on Jan. 18, 2006, by Gorham police officer Michael Coffin. The driver was arrested on charges of driving drunk and failing to stop for a police officer.
Just after that arrest, Johnson says, he got into a fight with Coffin and other officers who arrived on Spiller Road.
Johnson says in court papers that he was backing away from Coffin when he was assaulted by four officers who used fists, batons and pepper spray against him.
Read MoreWoman Files Notice Of Claim Against Waldoboro Maine After Being Hit In Crosswalk By Patrol Car Driven By Officer Zachary Curtis - Officer Was Suspended After Shooting And Killing A Motorist A Month Latter
November 13th, 2007
WALDOBORO, MAINE - A woman struck Aug. 23 by a Waldoboro police cruiser while in a crosswalk has filed a notice of claim against the town.
The Oct. 22 notice of claim, filed by Linda M. Peabody’s attorney Steven Silin of Lewiston, gives warning to the town that she may file a lawsuit.
Officer Zachary Curtis, who was driving the cruiser when it allegedly hit the pedestrian, is the same officer who a month later allegedly shot and killed an 18-year-old Whitefield man, following a traffic stop on Route 220.
Curtis remains on paid administrative leave while the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigates the Sept. 23 deadly use of force case, according to a Waldoboro town spokeswoman.
Curtis had been with the Waldoboro Police Department for approximately 18 months when the shooting occurred. He has completed 100 hours of training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro. He has no employment contract with the town, Town Manager Lee Smith said.
Read More$900 Federal Million Lawsuit Charges State, Buxton Maine Police Chief Jody Thomas, Legislator, And Judges With Violation Of Constitutional Rights - Plaintiff’s Held Up For $867K By Biddeford District Court To Appeal Ruling
November 9th, 2007
BUXTON, MAINE - The owners of dogs seized by the state at a Buxton kennel raided in August have filed a $900 million lawsuit naming the town of Buxton, the town’s police chief, a local legislator, judges, the state of Maine and several state officials among a long list of defendants.
John and Heidi Frasca, claiming the Aug. 21 seizure of their dogs and other property violated their constitutional rights, filed the lawsuit Oct. 31 in U.S. District in Portland.
Meanwhile, in Biddeford District Court, the Frascas have been ordered to post $867,740 in security by Friday so that their appeal of a ruling awarding custody of the dogs to the state can go forward. A judge in September awarded permanent custody to the state of 249 dogs and puppies seized in the raid at J’aime Kennel.
Read MoreFormer York Maine Police Officer Wayne Clark’s Trial Postponed - Charged With Facilitating And Underage Drug Or Alcohol Party
October 29th, 2007
YORK, MAINE — Because of miscommunication, a new trial date will be set for the former York police officer arrested by Hampton, N.H., police.
On Thursday, a clerk at Hampton District Court said charges against Wayne Clark, 23, of Augusta, Maine, had not been brought forward by Hampton police.
Clark was arrested on July 23, and charged with facilitating an underage drug or alcohol party.
At his July 30 arraignment, Clark, who was a seasonal officer for York, pleaded not guilty.
The case was scheduled to go to trial on Wednesday, Oct. 24.
Chief Jamie Sullivan said it was likely a negotiated disposition, but since he didn’t know the details, he said he would have the prosecutor call the Herald.
On Friday, Deputy Chief Richard Sawyer said a new trial date will be set. He said the charge stands awaiting that trial. Sawyer said there were negotiations between the Hampton prosecutor and Clark’s attorney that resulted in some confusion between the two and the clerk’s office.
Read MoreFederal Jury Awards Motorist $111,000 After South Portland Maine Police Officer Kevin Gerrish’s Taser Weapon Attack
October 27th, 2007
PORTLAND, MAINE –A U.S. District Court civil jury ruled Friday that a South Portland police officer used excessive force when he shot a suspected drunken driver with an electronic stun gun during a traffic stop two years ago.
Jurors awarded $111,000 plus attorney’s fees to Stephen Parker, a merchant mariner from South Portland. His lawyer, Ben Gideon, said the award covers medical costs, lost wages and pain and suffering.
Parker claimed that Officer Kevin Gerrish violated his constitutional rights when he shot him with a Taser, leaving him with permanent injuries.
Gerrish maintained that Parker took an aggressive stance toward the arresting officers and failed to submit to being handcuffed during the July 20, 2005, incident.
During the trial, which began Wednesday, jurors viewed a 10-minute video taken from the windshield of Gerrish’s cruiser as he stopped Gerrish’s pickup truck, administered a field sobriety test and tried to arrest him. Two backup officers were present as the confrontation escalated.
Read MoreFormer Cumberland County Maine Correctional Officer Stephen Vail Arrested, Charged With Purse Snatching, Blames PTSD
October 26th, 2007
PORTLAND, MAINE - A former Cumberland County corrections officer is facing robbery charges that could land him in prison for 30 years.
Stephen Vail faces robbery charges in a purse snatching incident and police said he told them the robbery was a desperate cry for help for his post traumatic stress disorder.
Vail was recently let go from his job at the Cumberland County Jail. His court-appointed attorney told the judge Friday that Vail’s problems began after he got back from serving in the war in Iraq.
According to police, Vail followed a woman out of the Hannaford supermarket on Riverside Street in Portland, and grabbed her purse when she approached her car. The woman told police she knows Vail because their kids went to school together.
Read MoreCumberland County Maine District Attorney Stephanie Anderson Targets Portland Area Children, Birth Control, School, School Committee, And Children’s Health Care. Apparently Ensuring A Supply Of Pregnant Children And AIDS Victims For State’s Welfare System Are High On Her List Of Priorities…
October 26th, 2007
PORTLAND, MAINE - Portland’s school-based health centers have not been reporting all illegal sexual activity involving minors as required by law, but they will from now on, city officials said Thursday.
Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson questioned the health centers’ reporting practices after the Portland School Committee decided last week to offer prescription birth control at the King Middle School health center.
The King Student Health Center has offered comprehensive reproductive health care, including providing condoms and testing for sexually transmitted diseases, since it opened in 2000. The school serves students in grades 6 to 8, ages 11 to 15.
Maine law prohibits having sex with a person under age 14, regardless of the age of the other person involved, Anderson said.
Read MoreEVERYONE PANIC: Westbrook Maine Police Take A Shot At Creating Hypodermic Hysteria, With Local Media Falling Right In Line, Over Capped Insulin Needle
October 25th, 2007
WESTBROOK, MAINE - Westbrook police offered words of advice on the proper disposal of hypodermic needles after one was found Thursday morning in downtown Westbrook.
Wearing a black leather glove, Officer Inger Cyr of Westbrook Police picked up a hypodermic needle after it was discovered near the downtown bus stop on Main Street. The needle was uncovered after fallen leaves had been blown.
Cyr placed the needle in a specially designed plastic container and delivered the needle to the city’s rescue department for disposal.
The needle was capped, leading Cyr to believe it might have belonged to a diabetic. “Usually IV drug users don’t cap them,” she said.
She said people finding a needle, if it’s capped, could place it themselves in an empty plastic soda bottle. “Call us,” Cyr said, “we’ll come and dispose of it.”
Read MoreTaser Weapon On Trial After South Portland Maine Police Officer Kevin Gerrish Injures Man
October 25th, 2007
PORTLAND, MAINE - Before the lawyers said one word Wednesday morning at the trial of a South Portland police officer accused of using excessive force, the courtroom lights were shut off and the jurors watched a 10-minute video taken from the windshield of the officer’s cruiser on July 20, 2005.
The tape captured no sound, but the seven jurors could see officer Kevin Gerrish approach Stephen Parker’s pickup truck, guide him through a series of sobriety tests, and then attempt to arrest him for drunk driving.
They could see the situation escalate from routine to confrontational, as two backup officers arrived and Parker made obscene gestures to one who was not in uniform. And finally, the jury could see Gerrish shoot Parker with a 50,000-volt stun gun, as officer Jeffrey Caldwell struggled to handcuff the alleged drunk driver.
Read MoreMaine State Police Launch Manhunt For Brother Who Tried To Stop Kid Sister From Shaving Pussy - Your Tax Dollars At Work
October 24th, 2007
SWANVILLE, MAINE — Police continue to be on the lookout for a local man who fled into the woods after getting into a fight with his younger sister over shaving the family cat.
State Trooper Luke Cunningham said police were searching for Nicholas Palmer, 22, of Stevens Road. Police were called to the family residence at 1 p.m. Monday after Palmer’s 18-year-old sister claimed he choked and struck her. Before police could arrive, Palmer escaped into the woods. Using two tracking dogs, separate teams of officers searched unsuccessfully for Palmer for about four hours.
Cunningham said the sibling altercation began when Palmer attempted to stop his sister from shaving the family cat. The sister thought shaving would rid the cat of fleas and ticks. According to the sister, when Palmer attempted to cut the cord of the clipper she was using she responded by kicking him. The kick caused Palmer to cut himself with the knife he was using to sever the cord and he responded by choking and pushing his sister. He ran off when she called 911, Cunningham said.
Read MoreWestbrook Maine Police Chief William Baker Proves There Is No Such Thing As Innocent Until Proven Guilty, Or Even Innocent Until Charged
October 16th, 2007
WESTBROOK, MAINE — A restraining order has been issued against a 45-year-old man, requiring him to stay away from children despite not having been charged with a crime.
Arthur Facteau is accused of being criminally inappropriate with a 13-year-old, WMTW-TV in Portland reported.
Facteau said he is innocent and doesn’t deserve to be treated in such a way. Police countered that they’re protecting children, and they’re doing it creatively.
“I think people have a reasonable expectation for us to do everything possible, and I think we did that, and it would have been irresponsible to do otherwise,” Westbrook Police Chief William Baker said.
Baker said it wasn’t just one accusation that led to the restraining order against Facteau. In addition to the accusations by the 13-year-old, he said, Facteau also was being investigated for allegedly giving alcohol to a 17-year-old.
Read MoreNo Prison Or Jail For Parents Who Tried To Save Race-Traitor Daughter From Black Baby Tragedy
October 12th, 2007
YARMOUTH, MAINE - Less than an hour after listening to her parents plead guilty to their role in a bizarre kidnapping case, 20-year-old Katelyn Kampf vowed she would neither forgive nor forget what they did to her.
“I want to tell them how much they hurt me & and how angry I am. I’ve never heard my mom say she was sorry, ever,” she said.
The case that has been called “an American family tragedy” began one morning September 2006, in North Yarmouth, Maine. Katelyn Kampf had just told her parents she was pregnant by her boyfriend, Reme Johnson, and had decided to keep the baby.
“They said, ‘it’s either abortion or adoption,’” she said.
Read MoreWaldoboro Maine Police Officer, Zachary Curtis, Shoots And Kills Unarmed Teen, Residents Mount Petition Drive To Eliminate Bad Department
October 3rd, 2007
WALDOBORO, MAINE — Residents have mounted a petition drive to eliminate the town’s police department in the wake of last week’s shooting of an unarmed teenager by a town police officer.
“This just brought everything to a head,” petition organizer Patricia Chapman said of the shooting death of Gregori Jackson, 18, of Whitefield by part-time Patrolman Zachary Curtis. “People have been dissatisfied with the police department for the last 20 years. There’s been a lot of unrest in town about it for a long time.”
Chapman, a former town clerk, said she had about a dozen people canvassing the neighborhoods with petitions calling for a referendum on closing the police department. She said the group needed to collect 220 signatures to present the petition to the Board of Selectmen.
If the petition drive is successful, the selectmen could schedule a special election on the matter or wait until next year’s annual town meeting, she said Saturday. The town has approximately 5,000 residents.
Read MoreMaine Court Puts Needed Halt On Sex Offender Hysteria
September 30th, 2007
MAINE - Pillory was the name of a punishment device used in Colonial
times. Usually made from two hinged boards with holes cut for
the head and hands, this technical upgrade to the stocks was
used to expose convicts to public scorn.
In his novel, “The Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne described
one of the machines, and said, “There can be no outrage,
methinks … more flagrant than to forbid the culprit to hide his
face for shame.”
In our times, “pillory” has become a verb meaning “to lay open
to ridicule, public shame and abuse.” It is a word that could be
used to describe what happens to a person whose name and
photograph appears on an Internet sex offender registry.
In an important ruling this week, the Maine Supreme Judicial
Court opened Maine’s sex offender registry law to legal
challenge. This opinion should force the public and all levels of
government to reconsider the effectiveness of online registries
as a weapon against sexual violence.
Maine Governor John Baldacci Comes Up With Harebrained Plan To Take Control From Counties, Consolidate State’s Jails - This Won’t End Well…
September 28th, 2007
ROCKPORT, MAINE — The idea of streamlining government in Maine is always popular, but the reality is that Governor Baldacci’s plan to consolidate jails is running into serious political opposition.
The plan has been met with universal opposition from the counties, and little support from the legislature. Now, county sheriffs and county commissioners are hiring experts to help prove the takeover is a bad idea.
Governor Baldacci wants the state to take control of the county jails, to save money and help the state avoid the need to build new prison cells. His plan estimates a ten million dollar savings the first year and much more in years after that.
But county leaders meeting in Rockport Friday say they don’t really trust the governor’s numbers. That’s why they have hired a jail consulting firm to do their own analysis, and figure out what the numbers really will be.
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