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Police response to Maine mass shooting gets deeper scrutiny from independent panel

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Police response to Maine mass shooting gets deeper scrutiny from independent panel


LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Problems with police communication and coordination in the fraught hours after Maine’s deadliest mass shooting will be under scrutiny Friday from an independent commission, which plans to hear more testimony from law enforcement sources.

Well-meaning officers creating chaos by showing up without being asked and officers believed to have arrived intoxicated in a tactical vehicle are among the “disturbing allegations” that have come before the commission, Chair Daniel Wathen said last week.

The details were outlined in an after-action report by police in Portland, Maine, which is about a 45-minute drive south of where the shooting took place in Lewiston.

However, it’s unclear exactly what’s on the table for Friday’s meeting. Wathen said some of the things contained in the report were outside the scope of the commission’s work and best handled by police supervisors.

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Eighteen people were killed and 13 injured by an Army reservist at a bowling alley and a bar and grill in Lewiston. The shooter fled the scene in a vehicle that was abandoned in a nearby town.

The commission previously heard testimony from law enforcement officials about the evening of Oct. 25, when law enforcement agencies mobilized for a search as additional police officers poured into the region. State Police took over coordination of the search for the gunman, whose body was found dead from suicide two days later.

Some of the tense moments came when law enforcement located the gunman’s vehicle several hours after the shooting.

State police used a cautious approach, angering some officers who wanted to immediately search the nearby woods. Well-meaning police officers without any official assignment began showing up, raising concerns of police firing on each other in the darkness. The arrival of so many officers also contaminated the scene, making it all but impossible to use dogs to track the gunman.

At one point, a tactical vehicle from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office nearly crashed into another tactical vehicle from the Portland Police Department near that scene. A Portland Police Department after-action report suggested the occupants of the Cumberland County vehicle had been drinking but the sheriff denied that his deputies were intoxicated.

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Representatives of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Police Department said they weren’t sending officers to testify Friday.

The commission was appointed by the governor and is comprised of seven members including mental health professionals and former prosecutors and judges. Wathen is a former Maine chief justice.





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Maine

Share Your Photos From Hootie!

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Share Your Photos From Hootie!


South Carolina’s Hootie & The Blowfish took a, we’ll call it a break, in 2008. They kicked off a reunion in 2019 and ever since, us fans have let them know that WE. LOVE. HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH! Maine Savings Amphitheater and Waterfront Concerts were well aware of that and once again put on an epic show for us Mainers.

Darius Rucker/Hootie & The Blowfish

David Bugenske/TSM Maine

Maine Fans Showed Up Early to See Hootie Openers Edwin McCain and Collective Soul

Waterfront Concerts

David Bugenske/TSM Maine

Mainers of all ages took advantage of another amazing show put on by Waterfront Concerts and packed the Maine Savings Amphitheater for three perfect acts, and if you were raised on 90’s music, this show was especially nostalgic.

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Maine Savings Amphitheater

David Bugenske/TSM Maine

The venue was packed early to enjoy the two openers Edwin McCain and Collective Soul. There truly isn’t a bad seat in Maine Savings Amphitheater. Each section offers a unique concert viewing perspective and the sound is top-notch which assists in creating summer memories that you will cherish forever. Such memories were born Friday night while hearing McCain sing his monster hit, “I’ll Be,” while Collective Soul had everyone dancing to “Shine.”

Hootie & The Blowfish at Maine Savings Amphitheater

Hootie & The Blowfish at Maine Savings Amphitheater

Gallery Credit: David

Hootie & The Blowfish Never Sounded Better Than on the Waterfront in Maine

Hootie & The Blowfish

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David Bugenske/TSM Maine

Lots of work has been put into the Maine Savings Amphitheater and Hootie & The Blowfish took advantage. Maine Savings Amphitheater has been designed and perfected by Bangor-based Ervin Architecture and the minds at Waterfront Concerts. All attendees Friday night were spoiled hearing hits like “Hold My Hand,” “Time,” and “Let Her Cry” through the best sound any venue in the world can offer.

Maine Savings Ampitheater

David Bugenske/TSM Maine

Our next show that we will review will be Lainey Wilson on June 29th, and after watching Hootie & The Blowfish, it is clear that we are in for one wild and fun summer thanks to Waterfront Concerts!

2024 Bangor, Maine Waterfront Summer Concert Lineup

Here are the performers who will be coming to the Maine Savings Amphitheater on the Bangor Waterfront in the summer of 2024.

Gallery Credit: Jordan Verge

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Gunman In Maine’s Auburn Shoots At Cops, Sets Homes Ablaze, Causes Series Of Blasts – News18

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Gunman In Maine’s Auburn Shoots At Cops, Sets Homes Ablaze, Causes Series Of Blasts – News18


Auburn firefighters hose down the remains of a home in Auburn, Maine. Police reported that an armed person was in an area where a series of explosions and a house fire erupted early Saturday. (Image: AP Photo)

The police cancelled a shelter-in-place order and said that the incident has been brought under control.

Police in Maine have cancelled a shelter-in-place order in the city of Auburn after reporting that an armed person was in an area where a series of explosions and a house fire erupted early Saturday.

The Auburn Police Department said on Facebook that the situation had been resolved and that there was no threat to the public.

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Earlier Saturday, the department had warned residents to stay in place while authorities dealt with an emergency situation involving an armed person. No other details were released.

Homes were evacuated and a section of the avenue was blocked off by police. Auburn Fire Department Capt. Chris Moretto said there were three explosions around 2:15 a.m. that were believed to be related to the fire, the Lewiston Sun-Journal reported.

Another explosion was heard shortly before 3 a.m., the newspaper reported.

The Maine State Police and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department also were at the scene, the Sun-Journal reported.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)





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Luxury cottages in quaint Maine town available as vacation rentals this summer: 'Never want to leave'

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Luxury cottages in quaint Maine town available as vacation rentals this summer: 'Never want to leave'


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Thinking of visiting Maine this summer? 

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A set of summer cottages are available for rent off the Southern Maine coast during this summer season. 

The Dunes on The Waterfront is a 12-acre property where guests can stay in vintage New England whitewashed cottages with the entire family this summer, according to materials shared with Fox News Digital. 

The cottages are located across a tidal river from Ogunquit Beach, about 30 minutes south of Kennebunkport, Maine. 

HOT HONEYMOON DESTINATIONS: BORA BORA, BAIL AND MORE TROPICAL, INTERNATIONAL SPOTS FOR COUPLES

Visitors have their pick of 21 cottages for their next vacation trip. 

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The property is “home to an array of reimagined vintage New England whitewashed cottages with vibrant green shutters, spaced thoughtfully apart for ultimate privacy,” according to press materials.

The Dunes in Maine offers a 12-acre property full of amenities.  (Katie Nielson)

The Dunes offers one-to-three-bedroom cottages with various amenities, such as gas-burning fireplaces, wet bars, smart TVs, private porches and more. 

With no vehicles needed to get around the property, guests can use bikes to get from one side to the other.

5 SECRET SUMMER-TRAVEL PACKING HACKS TO MAXIMIZE CARRY-ON SPACE AND MINIMIZE STRESS

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While at The Dunes in Maine, vacationers can enjoy morning breakfast delivery, classic lawn games, waterfront yoga, a fishing dock, kayaks, paddleboard, row boats and more. 

Cottage living room

The Dunes are located within the tidal river off Ogunquit Beach in Maine.  (Katie Nielson)

For more adventurous guests, The Dunes offers a pontoon boat to take across the tidal river to Ogunquit Beach for a lobster dinner or a walk downtown. 

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The Dunes owner and chairman of Atlantic Hospitality, Tim Harrington, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “When you drive into The Dunes, it feels like you’re going back in time,” he said. 

Dunes cottage exterior

The Dunes at The Waterfront are located about 30 minutes south of Kennebunkport, Maine.  (Katie Nielson)

He continued, “The classic New England cottages are surrounded by sandy dunes and gardens rolling out to the sea with access to Ogunquit Beach just across the tidal river.”

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This “wistful paradise,” according to the property’s website, “is close to everything, yet far from it all.”

Dunes kitchen

The Dunes offers between one- and three-bedroom cottage options with kitchens and other amenities.  (Katie Nielson)

Harrington added that the hospitality group put “the utmost care and love into revitalizing the property” just ahead of the 2024 summer season.

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The group said it aimed to bring “a one-of-a-kind luxurious coastal cottage retreat to Ogunquit — creating a place guests will never want to leave.”

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