Goodrich captured and charged

State Police say Perley Goodrich was captured early this morning ending a four day search for the Newport man.

Goodrich was taken into custody inside the restaurant of the Irving Station in Newport after a waitress recognized him and called police. Newport Police Officer Alan Graves and Steve Morrell took him into custody about 12:45 a.m. as he was sitting at a table drinking a cup of coffee. Goodrich was the only customer in the restaurant at the time and offered no resistance. He was not armed. The Newport officers handcuffed Goodrich and placed him in their cruiser while they waited for a State Trooper and a Penobscot County Deputy to arrive to transport him to the State Police detective's offices in Bangor for questioning.

The Irving Station is about five miles from Goodrich's Rutland Road home in Newport, which was the site of the shooting death of his father and the severe beating of his mother, late Sunday night.

State Police later charged Goodrich with murder and aggravated as. He was questioned by State Police detectives following his early morning arrest and was taken to the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor at about 4:30 a.m.

He is due to appear in court at 1:30 p.m., Oct 30, at Bangor Superior Court.

Area Wanted 10.28.2009

The following people have active warrants with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office as of October 26, 2009. Please contact your local law enforcement agency if you have information about the current whereabouts of these individuals.

Wade Wilson
Age: 32
Charge: Failure to Appear
Last known address: Bangor

Stephanie Braisted
Age: 22
Charge: Failure to Appear
Last known address: Hermon

The Maine Edge Criminal Mischief

Winter parking ban for Old Town

OLD TOWN – The Old Town Police Department reminds residents the winter parking ban goes into effect Nov. 1, 2009 and will remain in effect until April 30, 2010.
Vehicles are prohibited from parking on City streets or in City owned parking areas between midnight and 6 a.m. All violations are subject to a $20 fine. Residents of the downtown area may purchase parking permits to park in the City owned lots downtown. Those permits are $150 each and are valid for the entire November to April time period.

Man allegedly shoots gun near woman

PRINCETON – State Police arrested a man in Princeton for allegedly shooting at a woman at their camp in Township 27.
Tpr. Jason Fowler responded to Princeton for a threatening complaint involving a firearm. The victim reported that she and her boyfriend, Joel Betz, 47, of Princeton, had gone to their camp in Township 27, near the border of Grand Lake Stream. While there, Betz became intoxicated and discharged a firearm in the close vicinity of the victim, missing her by less than 12 inches, according to police.
The pair was then returning to Princeton, when Betz allegedly threatened that he was going to shoot the victim, at which point she jumped from the moving vehicle and contacted police.
Betz reportedly hid the vehicle behind a nearby residence and got another ride to Princeton. Police were able to intercept Betz just as he was returning to his apartment. He was placed under arrest and charged with domestic reckless conduct with a firearm, a class C felony.
Police located two firearms back at the camp, including the one believed to be discharged at the victim. The damage to the camp and other property was estimated to be around $500.

The restroom is for peeing

ORONO – Employees frown upon patrons urinating on their establishments, as a New Glouster man found out on Friday.
On Oct. 23, around 1:30 a.m., employees of Pat’s Pizza flagged down Officer Jason Zalva and informed him that a man had urinated on the door to the Red Room. When he went inside, Zalva saw two men, and the employee pointed out the one that had allegedly peed on the door. When Zalva approached him, the man attempted to run and was subdued. When the officer asked why he tried to run, the man, later identified as Joseph Carroll, 21, of New Glouster, informed police that he hadn’t done anything wrong. According to police, he was also using expletives while declaring his innocence. He was issued a disorderly conduct warning and then left go to go on his way. He asked the officer if he could have a ride, which the officer declined.
Zalva then left the scene and was driving away when he saw Carroll on the sidewalk. Carroll reportedly displayed both of his middle fingers to the officer, while yelling “you f—king f—ggot.”
Zalva then arrested Carroll for disorderly conduct and escorted him to Penobscot County Jail. While being escorted inside the jail, Carroll reported yelled “don’t slam my head,” and then proceeded to slam his own head against a bay door. He was then turned over to jail personnel.

Mi case est MI casa

ORONO – A Bangor man was arrested when he was reportedly too drunk to realize he wasn’t at his own house – and tried to break into it.
A man called police and reported that someone was attempting to break into his house on Oct. 25 at around 12:25 a.m. Officer Jason Zalva arrived on scene to find a man identified as Fredrick Dirico outside the residence. He was reportedly intoxicated and his hands were bleeding. Zalva noted that some windows were broken and the winterizing plastic over the windows had been ripped. Dirico reportedly didn’t realize he was at another person’s house. He insulted the man who called police.
Zalva learned that Dirico was out on bail with conditions not to possess or consume alcohol or commit any new crimes. He was placed under arrest, at which point he spat at the officer and resisted being placed in the cruiser.
He was then transported to Penobscot County Jail and charged with two counts of violation of conditions of release, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and criminal mischief.

Things not to do without a license: driving, top of the list

OLD TOWN – Though driving without a license is never a good idea, speeding without a license tends to be worse, as an Old Town man learned.
Officer Jim Fearon was on patrol on Oct. 21 around 4:02 p.m., when he stopped a vehicle for speeding on Main Street. The driver provided a Maine State Identification Card, which showed him to be Mario Bobadilla, 30, of Old Town. He told police he had a license out of California, but a license check showed that it was under suspension.
Bobadilla was summoned for operating without a license. The registered owner of the vehicle was contacted and that person was able to drive it away.

Shooting update

Goodrich Jr.
(photo courtesy of Steve McCausland)

NEWPORT - State Police are asking hunters, who are expected in the Newport area, to be on the lookout for anything unusual in the woods, at their camps or in their tree stands. The wooded area bordered by four towns has been the subject of a three day search for a man wanted in connection with the death of his father, and also is a popular area for deer hunting. The area borders the town lines of Newport, Corinna, Kenduskeag, and Stetson. There are a number of hunting camps in the area and several tree stands have set up in preparation for this year's deer season which starts at daylight Saturday. Many hunters are expected into the area early to open up their camps today and Friday.

Police are maintaining an increased presence in the area and continue to advise residents and motorists to report any suspicious activity by calling 911. State Police are being assisted in those patrols by Newport Police, the Penobscot Sheriff's Office and Maine Warden Service.

An overnight search of the area that ended early Thursday found no sign of Perley Goodrich Jr. That search consisted of over 40 law enforcement officers from the sheriff's office, Newport Police, the warden service and the State Police tactical team. The overnight search was concentrated off the Smith Road in Corinna in the vicinity of Brooks Pond and was sparked by a Newport police officer seeing a man along an ATV trail during the afternoon. The search found no sign of that man or Goodrich.

Veazie Chief ends chase in Bangor

BANGOR – A chase through Bangor was ended when the suspect vehicle reported crashed with a vehicle operated by Veazie Police Chief Mark Leonard.
On Oct. 26 around 9:46 p.m., Bangor Police Officer James Hassard observed a vehicle run a stop sign on Mt. Hope and Forest Avenues. He attempted to stop the vehicle and the operator refused to stop, according to police. At that point, Hassard and other Bangor Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and set up at known intersections for possible spike mat deployment.
Veazie Police Chief Mark Leonard heard the radio traffic and was in the vicinity of the chase, which was taking place in and out of side streets. Leonard said he heard radio traffic that indicated the vehicle may be travelling back towards Veazie and was heading in that direction by Birch and State Streets when he heard screeching tires. He accelerated to avoid collision, and thinking the suspect’s vehicle had crashed or was further back, pulled his cruiser to block traffic. He looked into the street, made eye contact with the suspect, who then allegedly accelerated and collided with Leonard’s cruiser on the driver’s side.
Leonard said that it appeared that the suspect continued to accelerate in an apparent attempt to keep going, before he was pinned by a Bangor Police cruiser.
Police were then able to arrest Craig Howe, 32, from Brewer, who was charged with class B felony aggravated assault, class C felony eluding a police officer, class C felony passing a roadblock, misdemeanor OUI, reckless conduct, driving to endanger, and operating after suspension.
Howe and his 25-year-old passenger were both taken to a local hospital emergency room, treated and released.
Leonard sustained minor injuries and did not need medical assistance.
“It’s unfortunate we lost our cruiser,” Leonard said. “But it’s better our cruiser than an innocent passerby.”
The case remains under investigation.



Photos courtesy of Chief Mark Leonard

Newport shooting

NEWPORT - State and Newport Police say they are now investigating the shooting that took place inside a Newport home late Monday night as a homicide.

The victim is 76 year old Perley Goodrich Sr. Police continue to look for Goodrich's 45 year old son, Perley Goodrich Jr. for questioning in connection with the shooting.

The younger Goodrich was last seen leaving the home at 146 Rutland Road shortly before midnight. The younger Goodrich lives at the house with his parents. He is described as 5-foot 11-inches tall, weighs 140 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. He is considered to be armed and dangerous and anyone who has had contact with Goodrich should call State Police in Orono at 1-800-432-7381 or 911 on a cell phone.

Bridge Issues in Orono

ORONO - This past weekend the Water District found a leak with the main distribution line that carries water from the treatment plant to Marsh Island and the University. What that means is that those living on Marsh Island as well as the University have experienced a decrease in water pressure. This has a negative effect on the operations of the steam plant at the University and needs to be corrected quickly. The location of the leak was traced to the portion of the distribution linethat comes across the Ferry Hill Bridge, downtown Orono.

What that means, unfortunately, is that the Orono-Veazie Water District is going to have to close the Southbound Lane of the Ferry Hill Bridge (Route 2) tomorrow from 7:00 a.m. through the evening hours for emergency repairs. They will do their best to finish as quickly as possible but can make no guarantees as to when it will be fixed. Northbound and southbound traffic will be able to cross the bridge however it may be slow going. If possible, please plan accordingly and use alternate routes and alternate forms of transportation.

Thank you for your patience in this matter and we are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

- Cathy Conlow, Orono Town Manager

Area Wanted 10.21.2009

The following people have active warrants with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office as of October 19, 2009. Please contact your local law enforcement agency if you have information about the current whereabouts of these individuals.

Robert Cohen
Age: 22
Charge: Failure to Appear
Last known address: Madison

Nicholas Robichaud
Age: 27
Charge: Failure to Appear
Last known address: Bangor

The Maine Edge Criminal Mischief

Wanted no more (twofer)

Lyons

VEAZIE/OLD TOWN – Two men featured in last week’s “Area Wanted” have turned themselves in to police voluntarily.

On Oct. 14, around 6:33 p.m., Cole Lyons turned himself in to the Veazie police department and was escorted to Penobscot County Jail. On Oct. 16, around 8:11 a.m., Daniel Legere called the Old Town Police Department to arrange his own arrest for three outstanding warrants. Police arrived, placed him under arrest and escorted him to Penobscot County Jail without incident.

Legere

Faulty lights lead to charges

BANGOR – A malfunctioning taillight led to OUI charges for an Eddington woman.
Officer Shawn Green was on patrol on Oct. 14 around 10:50 p.m. when he saw that a vehicle parked on State Street had a faulty tail light. He watched as a woman got into the passenger seat; when the vehicle began to leave, he initiated a stop.
As he spoke with the driver, Myndie Davis, 26, of Eddington, he detected the odor of alcohol and noticed signs of intoxication. He administered field sobriety tests and determined she was under the influence of alcohol. He placed her under arrest and took her to the Bangor Police Department for an Intoxilyzer test, which showed her blood alcohol to be above the legal limit. She was taken to Penobscot County Jail and charged with operating under the influence. The vehicle was towed.

Wakey, wakey; it’s time for jail

ORONO – Police reportedly found a man asleep behind the wheel of his running car after concerned employees called authorities.
An employee of the Thriftway called police on Oct. 17 around 4:30 p.m. to report a possibly intoxicated man leaving the establishment. Officer Chris Watson responded and found Gabriel Checker, 23, of Milbridge, asleep at the wheel of his running vehicle. Watson tapped on the window and Checker opened his eyes and looked at the officer but initially didn’t roll down the window, according to police. While he was retrieving his identification, he told Watson that he used to be a student at the university and was in town for homecoming.
The officer administered some field sobriety tests and Checker did not pass to the officer’s satisfaction. He was placed under arrest, charged with operating under the influence and taken to Penobscot County Jail.

Coming or going?

ORONO – A driver didn’t seem to know whether he was coming or going before he was stopped by police over the weekend.
Officer Christine McAvoy was on patrol on Oct. 18 around 2:25 a.m. when she saw a vehicle that was reportedly backing up and then moving forward repeatedly before it went on its way. It began to make a wide left turn and she attempted to stop the car by engaging her blue lights. The car struck the curb as it came to a halt, according to police.
The officer spoke to the driver, Augustin Ofili, [get age], of Naugatuck, Conn., and noted signs of intoxication. She administered field sobriety tests, which Ofili failed to complete to the officer’s satisfaction. He was arrested for operating under the influence. His passenger, Felecia Achorn, 21, of Brewer, had an active warrant for arrest for failure to pay fines and fees for allowing a minor to possess alcohol.
Both were taken to Penobscot County Jail.

Playing politics

OLD TOWN – A woman was given a civil summons for tampering with political signs over the weekend.
Officer Lori Renzullo was called by a man who said he saw a woman either knock down or steal a “Yes on 1” political sign on Oct. 17 around 3:13 p.m. He told dispatchers that the woman was wearing a yellow shirt and got into the passenger side of vehicle.
The officer located the vehicle on the Kirkland Road and saw a woman wearing a yellow shirt as a passenger, later identified as Amanda Kelley, 26, of Old Town. Renzullo explained the reason for the stop and asked Kelley if she had removed the sign, which Kelley admitted she had. She told the officer that they had pulled over to get cell reception and when she noticed the sign became upset and pulled it from the ground and dropped it. She told police she wasn’t aware that it was a crime.
She was issued a citation for unauthorized removal or destruction of political signs, a civil offense.

Phone scams

BANGOR – Police are warning Bangor residents of a phone scam in which callers dig for personal information while claiming victims could receive money.
Over the weekend, Sgt. Paul Edwards received at least three calls from Bangor residents reporting that they were victims of a phone scam.
All three victims have phone numbers with the same prefix of 947 and were close numerically, suggesting that these scammers started with a number and went on adding one digit after the other, according to police.
The scammers left messages on answering machines and also spoke to these people, stating that they were from the IRS and were informing them of a refund. As the conversations went on, the scammers asked for personal information from checking account numbers to social security numbers. None of the people gave any personal information.
Edwards urges anyone who feels he or she received a fake call from the IRS over the weekend and gave out personal information to contact the institution that would be affected (if you gave bank information, call your local bank; if social security numbers, call their office, etc.).
If you have questions or concerns, contact the Bangor Police Department at 947-7382.

Bad driving day

OTIS/ELLSWORTH – Police said road rage led to two separate crashes in Otis and Ellsworth last week.
On Oct. 12, Tpr. Christopher Smith responded to a reported road rage incident that began in Otis. Joshua Mason, 27, of Waltham, was reportedly driving below the posted speed limit on Route 180. The car behind him passed Mason, and he then sped up and passed that vehicle before slowing down once more. When both parties came into the town center, the other driver left his vehicle to ask Mason why he was driving like that. Mason then put his vehicle into reverse and allegedly backed into another vehicle. The second vehicle, driven by Nicholas Willey, 25, of Mariaville, was relatively undamaged, but Mason had dented the back of his own vehicle. He then attempted to flee the scene, swerving around the original complainant, according to police.
Both the original victim and the new victim pursued Mason at high rates of speed while calling authorities. The pursuit continued into Ellsworth, where Mason reportedly failed to stop at an intersection and drove his vehicle into a ditch.
Sgt. Kelvin Mote of the Ellsworth Police Department and Tpr. Smith arrived shortly after. Since there were two separate incidents, they were investigated separately. Smith charged Mason with driving to endanger and leaving the scene of a property damage accident for the incidents that occurred in Otis.
Willey, the driver of the other car, was also summoned for operating without a license.

Area Wanted 10.14.2009

The following people have active warrants with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office as of October 13, 2009. Please contact your local law enforcement agency if you have information about the current whereabouts of these individuals.

Cole Lyons
Age: 26
Charge: Failure to Appear
Last known address: Veazie

Daniel Legere
Age: 23
Charge: Failure to Appear, 3 warrants
Last known address: Old Town

The Maine Edge Criminal Mischief

Burn out

ORONO – A burned out headlight led police to some other burned out items.
Officer Ed Leskey was on patrol when he saw a vehicle with a burned out headlight and stopped it on College Avenue. When he approached the vehicle, he detected the odor of burnt marijuana and requested backup from the narcotics K9. The dog indicated the presence of drugs in the vehicle and it was subsequently searched.
Police located a glass pipe with burned marijuana residue in it, a baggie with a usable amount of marijuana and three baggies with “shake.”
The driver, Brooke Beck, 19, of Manchester, was summoned for sale and use of drug paraphernalia and possession of a usable amount of marijuana.

In and out and in again

OLD TOWN – An Old Town man returned to jail for the second time in less than a week after police allegedly found drug paraphernalia and alcohol in his bedroom during a bail search.
On Oct. 8 around 7:59, Officer Jim Fearon contacted Legrand Cannon, 20, of Old Town, for a bail check. Cannon had been arrested on Oct. 4 and charged with furnishing a place for minors to consume and illegal possession of alcohol by a minor. While searching the common areas, Fearon found alcohol in the fridge as well as several marijuana pipes, scales and other paraphernalia. One of Cannon’s roommates, Kyle Philbrook, 20, of Old Town, claimed possession of the items.
A search of Cannon’s room revealed another water pipe, a marijuana grinder and a mini-fridge that contained more alcohol.
Cannon was placed under arrest for violating his conditions of release and was charged with sale and use of drug paraphernalia and illegal possession of alcohol by a minor. Philbrook was summoned for sale and use of drug paraphernalia. Since there was no one over the age of 21, police seized the alcohol in the house and it was destroyed.

Burn out redux

ORONO – Another malfunctioning headlight led to charges for an Orono man over the weekend.
An officer stopped a vehicle for a burned out headlight and identified Max Graham, 19, of Orono. Police learned that Graham was on bail with conditions that included submitting to random search.
Police found a bag containing marijuana and Graham was placed under arrest for violation of condition of release and taken to Penobscot County Jail where he was also charged with possession of a usable amount of marijuana.

When out on bail, don’t steal

ORONO – Despite her wishes, an Orono woman returned to jail just nine days after her last visit.
Police were called to the Thriftway on Park Street for the report of a woman who allegedly left the store without paying for her alcohol. Employees pointed out the woman, who was attempting to cross the street. She was later identified as Sarah Worcester, 41, of Orono. Officers found a half-gallon of vodka and a bottle of ginger ale.
Worcester was out on bail and had been arrested for a separate bail violation on Oct. 2, and still had conditions not to commit new crimes and not to possess or consume alcohol. She reportedly became upset and told officers she did not wish to return to jail.
Police placed her under arrest for violation of conditions of release and took her Penobscot County Jail and charged her with theft.

They teach that in driver’s ed

OLD TOWN – Proper use of headlights is covered when you’re learning the rules of the road, something an Old Town teen could have used this weekend.
Officer Ryan Fitch was on patrol on Stillwater Avenue on Oct. 11 around 12:33 a.m., when he observed a vehicle travelling down the road with no headlights. He attempted to stop the car, and it eventually came to a stop at the Irving in Orono.
Fitch spoke to the driver, who was identified as Dustin Mitchell, 19, of Old Town, who ultimately admitted he did not have a license. He reportedly told the officer that he was borrowing the vehicle to buy cigarettes.
Mitchell was summoned for operating without a license and the vehicle was towed.

Can’t stay away

OLD TOWN – An Old Town man returned to jail for the third time in less than 30 days.
On Oct. 12, around 1:19 a.m., Officer Ryan Fitch was on patrol, turning around at the gas station in Milford, when he recognized as a passenger in a car a man whom he’d had contact with a couple times previously: Wilfred Brousseau, 23, of Old Town. Knowing that Brousseau was out on bail, he checked with dispatch to verify that the bail conditions were active and then conducted a bail check on the man.
Brousseau had initially been arrested for operating under the influence on Sept. 4, and then arrested for violation of his bail conditions on Sept. 15.
While speaking with him, Fitch detected the odor of alcohol. Though Brousseau denied drinking, he did admit that he could not consume alcohol as per his bail conditions.
He was placed under arrest and taken to the Old Town Police Station for an Intoxilyzer test which indicated his blood alcohol content was 0.20 percent.
He was then taken to Penobscot County Jail and charged with violation of conditions of release.

Man shot in Canaan

CANAAN - State Police say a man was shot tonight in the Somerset County town of Canaan while in his pickup truck. The wounded man was flown to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and is undergoing surgery. Police are not identifying the victim tonight, but say he is middle aged and from the local area.

Troopers were called to the scene along Route 23 about 5:30 p.m. after nearby residents heard gunshots. When emergency personnel arrived they found the man wounded inside his truck, parked near the entrance to the local Hell's Angels clubhouse.

The wounded man was transported by ambulance to the Canaan Fire Department and was met by a Lifeflight helicopter. The assailant is believed to have fled the area in a car.

Troopers and detectives are gathering evidence from the scene and Route 23 has been closed in the immediate area of the shooting.

Area Wanted 10.07.2009

The following people have active warrants with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office as of October 5, 2009. Please contact your local law enforcement agency if you have information about the current whereabouts of these individuals.

Dawn Moores aka Dawn Haddow
Age: 23
Charge: Failure to Appear
Last known address: Unknown

Jonathan Gaudet
Age: 28
Charge: Failure to Appear, 5 warrants
Last known address: Unknown

The Maine Edge Criminal Mischief

Witness follows hit and runner

BANGOR – A witness to a reported hit and run accident followed the vehicle that fled the scene.
On Sept. 20, around 11:30 p.m., Bangor Police responded to an accident in which a vehicle had reportedly been struck by another vehicle as it traveled through a flashing yellow light. The vehicle that had struck the other one backed up and began to drive away.
After checking on the status of the victim, a witness then followed the fleeing vehicle to a residence on Park Street, where the witness reportedly parked, inhibiting the driver from later leaving, until police arrived.
When officers arrived, they arrested the driver, Emily Nelson, 22, of Hampden, for operating under the influence. She was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center for a blood kit.

Full Monty

ORONO – A man was arrested when police found him walking around without any pants – or anything else from the waist down.
Police were responding to a noise complaint, and officers were on foot when they came across a man later identified as Jeffrey Posowski, 22, of Orono, who wasn’t wearing anything below the waist.
Sgt. Scott Lajoie questioned the man on his choice of attire, but Posowski was vague on the reasons for his wardrobe malfunction and wouldn’t tell officers where he was coming from.
Police noted there were several people on a nearby porch causing considerable noise, according to police, and some also appeared to be in only their boxers.
Posowski was arrested for indecent conduct and taken to Penobscot County Jail.

How to get arrested

OLD TOWN – An Old Town man reportedly attempted to flee from police after an officer tried to give him a warning to stay out of traffic.
Officer Lee Miller was on patrol when he had to swerve to avoid a man who had walked into the middle of the road.
He turned around and stopped the walker, who was later identified as Samuel Green, 21, of Old Town. When Miller asked Green for his name and date of birth, Green reportedly replied that since he was getting a warning he didn’t need to give the officer his name. Green also pointed out that he could probably outrun the officer, according to police. As he was removing his wallet, Green then took off running. Miller and Officer Ryan Fitch stopped him, and after a brief struggle placed him under arrest.
When asked why he ran, Green reportedly told the officers he “didn’t like cops.” He was arrested and taken to Penobscot County Jail where he was charged with failure to give correct name and date of birth and refusing to submit to arrest or detention.

Man flees accident, leaves hurt passenger

GLENBURN – Penobscot County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a man on OUI charges after he reportedly fled the scene of an accident, leaving his severely injured passenger.
On Sept. 24, around 10:56 p.m., police were called to an accident where a passenger had been severely injured and transported to the hospital by Glenburn Fire Rescue. The driver, later identified as John Surles, 41, of Bangor, had allegedly fled the scene, and was later tracked by Dept. James Roy’s K9 track dog, Duke. Surles appeared intoxicated and reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol. He told deputies that he was unfamiliar with the road and had lost control on the vehicle when rounding a corner, information that was consistent with the deputies’ investigation.
Surles was transported to the hospital to treat an injury to his leg. When he was released, he was taken to Penobscot County Jail and charged with operating under the influence and failure to report a personal injury accident.

Public safety and senior appreciation day

BANGOR – Area law enforcement and fire/rescue equipment and personnel will be on hand at the Bangor Mall parking lot on Oct. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to show appreciation to senior citizens.
Penobscot County TRIAD and public safety officials will be displaying emergency equipment in the parking lot of Macy’s at the Bangor Mall. Visitors can get information about or see the 911 house numbering project, child identification iris scans, state police command vehicle, K9s, fire apparatus, sheriff’s mobile crime lab, fire safety displays, Capitol Ambulance and more.

Orono winter parking ban

ORONO – The Town of Orono’s winter parking ban will go into effect Nov. 1 and run until April 15, 2010. Any vehicle parked on any street within Orono between the hours of 12 midnight and 8 a.m. is subject to a fine; an offending vehicle will be towed and impounded at the owner’s expense.

Fight Night: Now with punching

By Katy England
Maine Blues
MaineBlues [at] hotmail [dot] com

ORONO – The second installment of the women’s self defense class took us out of the classroom and into the gym at the Asa Adams school where the women would begin to learn the basics of self defense.


And the best defense is a good offense. Sgt. Scott Lajoie with the assistance of Sgt. Scott Wilcox and Officer Christine McAvoy, demonstrated blocks, heel-palm strikes, hammer fist techniques, as well as elbow and knee strikes and kicks.
The instructors roamed the room assisting the women in carrying the techniques, adjusting postures, stances, and grips, and adding encouragement to the advice when someone showed improvement or struck the pads particularly well.


Throughout the evening, they made sure people understood not to over exert themselves, and to speak up if they didn’t feel comfortable with a particular strike. During the evening, McAvoy and Wilcox gave some adapted pointers to one student on how to fend people off with her cane.


The class was fast-paced and fun, with many of the participants clearly enjoying venting some pent-up aggression. But also there was a general sense of confidence building.


Here are some tips for keeping yourself safe:

Stay aware of your surroundings: Meaning have a good understanding of where you are, who and what’s around you. The more alert you are, the better chance you have of avoiding a dangerous situation.

Stay with people; go to people: Stay with a group of people you know and trust. If you find yourself alone in a dangerous situation, flee to a public place. You want to be in a witness-rich environment and call as much attention to the situation as possible.

Keep a barrier between you and the bad guy: It’s harder for a dude to tackle you, or get a hold of you if there is a tree, car, or large immoveable object in the way. Take advantage of your environment if you can.

Attract attention: If you are being attacked, call attention to it. Use a loud confident voice, yell for help, yell at your attacker to back off.

Don’t look like victim: Carry yourself confidently, look people in the eye. Don’t keep your shoulders down and watch your feet (you’ll be less likely to spot an attack).

Tell me no lies

Orono PD hosts statewide training for interviews and interrogation

By Katy England
edge staff writer
kengland@themaineedge.com

ORONO – We’re all too familiar with the good cop, bad cop routines we see on TV. One cop gets the bad guy a cup of coffee and asks about his family, while the other gets in his face, urging him to confess what they all know to be the truth. The reality tends to be a lot different, mostly because television doesn’t always walk down the same path as reality.
Mike Masokas, the instructor for John C. Reid and Associates, came from Chicago to instruct 30 law enforcement and security officers on the Reid Technique of Interview and Interrogation. The course is designed to help officers obtain legal confessions from subjects they’re speaking with. And it’s really not what you see on TV.
“People see [the investigators] on CSI solve a multiple homicide in an hour,” said Masokas. “Whether good or bad, they believe these things to be true.”
You’d be surprised with how much information can be gained, not so much from what is said, but from other cues, including non-verbal (body language) and paralinguistic (tone of voice and word choice). In fact, only a small portion of all communication – 7 percent – is verbal. The rest falls to paralinguistic and non-verbal cues – and they communicate more than mere words can hope to express.
“It’s a sympathetic and empathetic approach to interview and interrogation,” said Masokas.
“People are more apt to talk to you when you treat them with dignity.”
One of the first concepts put forth by Masokas was the difference between interviewing and interrogation. The two are very different: In the former, you’re looking for information; in the latter, you’re presenting the subject with the results of the investigation.
The example that they put on video was from a real case, with a person who was suspected of taking money from the bank he worked for. The thing that stuck me was how conversational it all was – from the interview to the interrogation. There were no raised voices or finger pointing. It’s like watching Jedis at work.
Masokas noted that knowing how to read the non-verbal signs from an innocent person is just as important as knowing when someone is communicating deceptively.
“One of the best parts of our job is to exonerate innocent people,” he said.
Knowing these techniques, what to look for and good questions to ask add to the tools law enforcement and security officers can use when they’re looking for the truth.
“The more tools they have available, the more successful they’re going to be,” said Masokas. “There are various techniques to interviews and interrogations. The more techniques they have available, the more tools they have available, the more successful they’ll be. If one thing is not working, they can try another.”

The Maine Edge Criminal Mischief

Police arrest robbery suspects, recognize citizens who aided investigation

BREWER – Through an extensive cooperative effort that spanned several police agencies and involved the expert cooperation of civilians, Brewer Police located and arrested the person suspected in an armed robbery at Dunkin Donuts.
On Sept. 23, at approximately 5:41 p.m., Sgt. David Lord and Officer Rodney Gerald responded to a hold up alarm at Dunkin Donuts on outer Wilson Street. The officers learned that an armed robbery had occurred at this location and the suspect fled the store on foot.
Detective Nelson Feero, Officer Amy Nickerson, Lieutenant Chris Martin and Chief Perry Antone responded and began canvassing the area and interviewing witnesses.
While Brewer officers were tied up investigating this call, deputies from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office assisted by answering some of the pending calls for service in Brewer.
Bangor Police Officer Rob Angelo and his K-9 Karan conducted a “track” from Dunkin Donuts which ended in the parking lot of a Wilson Street restaurant adjacent to Downeast Toyota.
Brewer Police Detective Sergeant Jay Munson worked with staff at Downeast Toyota and reviewed video surveillance of their parking lot.
It was determined that the suspect had driven through the lot of Downeast Toyota. With the assistance of Downeast Toyota, a vehicle description (make, model and approximate year) was provided to officers on the street.
Old Town Police Detective Tom Adams responded to Brewer to assist Munson, as the Brewer robbery had many similarities to the one that occurred in Old Town one day earlier.
Within two hours of the initial call, Officer Rodney Gerald (no relation to suspect), located the suspect vehicle at the drive-through of a fast food restaurant. Gerald stopped the vehicle and detained the driver, who was identified as Alex Gerald, 21, of Fairfield. Evidence was recovered in the vehicle linking Alex Gerald to the Brewer robbery, according to police, and witnesses to the Brewer robbery identified him as the suspect.
Detectives Munson, Feero and Adams interviewed Alex Gerald, who allegedly admitted to committing both the robberies in Brewer and Old Town.
Alex Gerald was arrested and charged with two counts of class A robbery and taken to the Penobscot County Jail.
The next day, Julie Jones and her K-9 Quincy (VK9 – Volunteer K9 Scent Specific Search and Recovery team) conducted an article search in the area that Alex Gerald had fled and recovered the weapon he had brandished during the Brewer robbery. This was an air soft pistol that had been spray painted to look like a semi-automatic handgun.
Police said that Alex Gerald committed these crimes as a means to facilitate his drug use, and told investigators that he used the money he obtained to acquire diverted pharmaceutical opiates.
The success of this investigation is a result of a collaborative effort between multiple police agencies and businesses, particularly Downeast Toyota.
“It was a collaborative effort, that’s what made it successful,” said Lt. Christopher Martin of the Brewer Police Department. “You have a bunch of people pulling together for a common cause. It’s really fantastic.”
On Friday, Sept. 25, Chief Perry Antone presented Jeffrey Tourtillotte (IT Manager at Downeast Toyota) and Tom Placella (member of management at Downeast Toyota) with “Citizen Recognition” coins. Tourillotte and Placella were recognized for their outstanding contributions and support that assisted with the successful investigation of this case. Tourtillotte, who had been at home during the investigation, responded to Downeast Toyota during the evening hours to operate and allow access to the Downeast Toyota surveillance system.
Placella assisted Tourtillotte with the viewing of the footage and was able to provide officers with an approximate make, model and year of the suspect vehicle. Police said that both men unselfishly worked beyond their normal day to support the Brewer Police Department’s efforts to identify and catch Alex Gerald. Their assistance enabled street officers to know what to look for, which in turn allowed for officers to locate Alex Gerald.

Don’t drink in public, especially with bail conditions

ORONO – Carrying around a cup of beer when you have bail conditions not to be carrying around beer can be problematic, as a Saco man learned over the weekend.
Officer Chris Watson was patrolling though Washburn Apartments when he saw two men walking, one of them carrying a large cup. Watson stopped the pair, and determined that the cup contained beer. The man holding the cup was identified as Matthew Berube, 20, of Saco, who was out on bail with conditions not to possess or consume alcohol. Watson recognized Berube from the previous incident. He placed him under arrest and transferred him to Penobscot County Jail.

Brother’s keeper

ORRINGTON – On Sept. 27, around 5:40 p.m., Chief Deputy Troy Morton was on patrol when he saw a vehicle parked on Hobbs Avenue in Orrington; the woman inside was yelling to someone in the woods.
Morton stopped and saw a man coming out of the woods. The man explained to Morton that he was relieving himself and was all set. Morton could smell alcohol on him and asked for his name.
He told the officer that he was Bandon Ashe, and had to give his birthday a couple of times. Morton was familiar was Brandon Ashe, and looked up the name on his mobile date terminal in the cruiser to find that the picture didn’t match the subject. He searched the name Ashe, and found Jason Ashe, 23, of Bangor, whose picture did match, with an active warrant for failure to appear in Bangor District Court for criminal mischief, refusing to submit to arrest and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs. Morton advised Ashe that he didn’t look like Brandon, but more like Jason.
Morton placed Ashe under arrest and transported him to Penobscot County Jail.

Caller tips off cops

BREWER – After an anonymous tip, police were able to locate an alleged drunk driver.
On Sept. 22, around 6:46 a.m., police received a report of a drunk driver leaving a bar.
Cpl. Paul Gauvin was able to locate the vehicle and stopped it when he saw the driver wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. The man driving was identified as Ricky MacDonald, 50, of Brewer, and he smelled of alcohol and admitted to drinking, according to police.
MacDonald had a conditional license not to drive with any alcohol in his system.
He did not pass the field sobriety tests to the officer’s satisfaction and was placed under arrest. He refused an Intoxilyzer and was taken to Penobscot County Jail, where he was charged with operating under the influence and operating without a license.