A video captured a person allegedly stealing a police car Monday, which led Maine police to shoot him in response, NEWS CENTER Maine reported.
Gary Porter, 37, has been charged with two counts of theft, assaulting a police officer, escape, eluding, and violation of bail. The incident began around Paris after police were alerted to Porter’s suspicious behavior, according to NEWS CENTER Maine. He was detained on a warrant for felony theft and subsequently transported to Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway. He received treatment for issues unrelated to his arrest, as stated in a joint press release by the Maine State Police, Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Oxford Police, Norway Police and Paris Police.
A video uploaded on Twitter, previously known as Twitter, shows law enforcement officers shouting orders and then opening fire while someone tries to drive away in a police vehicle. An eyewitness claimed to have seen the person entering another police vehicle in an attempt to flee just moments before the gunfire erupted, NEWS CENTER Maine reported.
LANGUAGE WARNING: Here’s the moment police officers began shooting at a person who appears to get behind the wheel of a police cruiser and drive away. Moments before they began shooting, you can hear officers yelling “put your hands up, do it now.” @WGME 🎥 Linda Marie Mercer pic.twitter.com/e7XPjQoTpI
— Owen Kingsley (@OwenWGME) May 6, 2024
“Paris Police Chief Mike Dailey transported Porter to the Oxford County Jail [in South Paris],” the statement said, according to NEWS CENTER Maine. “While attempting to remove Porter from the vehicle at the jail Porter was able to slip his cuffs from the back to the front and move to the driver’s seat and steal the Paris Police cruiser … Dailey was thrown from the moving vehicle while attempting to stop Porter.” (RELATED: Police Officer Shot Dead By Teen Over Suspicious Vehicle Stop, Police Say)
Oxford County Sheriff Christopher Wainwright reported that law enforcement officers shot and subsequently arrested the suspect. Wainwright assured the public that there were no further safety concerns. “There are no safety concerns for the public,” Wainwright said in a statement, NEWS CENTER Maine stated.
Wainwright also confirmed that no officers were injured during the event. Further updates are expected as more information becomes available.