The search for the gunman responsible for a mass shooting in Maine last October was described as incredibly chaotic in a report obtained by The Associated Press. It details incidents such as a group of deputies, who had been drinking, nearly crashing their armored vehicle, and others arriving in civilian clothes who could have been mistaken for the suspect.
According to the report from the Portland Police Department, officers rushed to secure the scene where the gunman abandoned his car after killing 18 people, making it Maine’s deadliest shooting.
Nicholas Goodman, leader of one tactical team, expressed concern in the report about officers arriving without orders, fearing they could cause more harm than help.
Another tactical team from Cumberland County, also responding to the incident, almost collided with Goodman’s team’s vehicle. Goodman described the close call, saying the armored car stopped abruptly within 20-30 feet, likening the noise to a large truck carrying heavy cargo.
A boy looks at Tylee’s memorial (Via Ben Myers/Shutterstock)
Goodman noted that the Cumberland vehicle emitted a strong odor of alcohol, with its occupants mentioning they had come from a funeral.
He described the scene as unprecedented in his career, citing a high level of self-dispatching, federal involvement in plain clothes, and disorder.
Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce responded to the report, stating that an internal investigation had cleared his officers of any wrongdoing and that no one was found to be intoxicated at the scene. He emphasized that if there were concerns about intoxicated officers, they should have been raised immediately, not six months later.
