A man who crashed a stolen police car, survived gunfire from 11 police officers, and then crashed another police vehicle — all while wearing handcuffs and a hospital gown — is currently not mentally fit to appear in court, his attorney stated on Friday.
The chaotic sequence of events involving multiple law enforcement agencies began when Gary Porter, already wanted on a felony theft charge, was found unconscious in a chicken coop on Monday. After being arrested, he was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to police.
Paris Police Chief Mike Dailey was in the process of taking Porter to jail and had stepped out of the pickup truck to escort him inside when Porter managed to slip his handcuffs from behind his back, move into the driver’s seat, and drive away.
Law enforcement personnel converge on a suspect (Alex Carpenter/Shutterstock)
The chief attempted to stop him by jumping onto the truck’s running board but was thrown to the ground, authorities reported.
A pursuit ensued involving officers from Norway, Oxford, and Paris, along with sheriff’s deputies and state police in a rural area of Maine about 48 miles from Portland. Eventually, spike mats were used to blow out the tires of Porter’s vehicle, causing him to crash into a ditch.
A bystander captured part of the incident on video: Despite still being handcuffed, Porter circles the truck, jumps into another police vehicle in plain view of officers, and shots are fired as he drives away in the second cruiser. The video shows him swerving and speeding off.
