Maine AG rules 2 more police shootings ‘justified’, including one from 2021

AUGUSTA, Maine (WGME) -- Two more deadly force incidents involving law enforcement officers in Maine have been ruled justified by the Maine Attorney General's Office [1]. In more than 130 reviews of police shootings since 1995, the AG has never found a police shooting unjustified in Maine. This week, the Attorney General's office released two more justified rulings.

SOMSERSET COUNTY CASE

In March of 2021, Somerset County deputies began investigating an early morning truck crash on Skowhegan Road in Norridgewock that involving a man believed to be armed & intoxicated.

According to investigators, deputies eventually tracked the driver of the truck down to the intersection near the Cumberland Farms in Norridgewock. The suspect, identified as 27 year-old Trevor Caouette, later pulled out a gun and pointed it at two deputies, according to the Attorney General's report. Caouette continued to aim his pistol at the deputies despite them telling him to "drop the gun", according to investigators.

That's when of those officers shot Caouette, who was later treated a local hospital and charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. The AG ruled the shooting justified saying they found the deputy "reasonably believed Mr. Caouette was posing an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death."

ALTON CASE

In May of this year, law enforcement began searching for 46 year-old Djvan Carter after receiving a 911 call that he had attacked his girlfriend with a hammer and was suicidal.

According to investigators, Djvan and his girlfriend were later tracked down to a road in Alton where they were sitting in a car. After arriving, State Police said they observed movement in the car that was consistent with someone striking someone else. According to the AG's report, as troopers approached the car Djvan sped forward toward them.

That's when investigators say a trooper fired several rounds through the car's windshield at the driver. The report states Djvan was shot in the chest but survived and was later charged. The Attorney General ruled the shooting justified writing the trooper "reasonably believed Mr.

Carter was about to run him over and reasonably believed that if Mr.

Carter were to leave the area with the girlfriend in the vehicle, the girlfriend would be killed."

As of December 4th, 11 deadly force incidents involving law enforcement officers in Maine remain open.

References

^ https://www.maine.gov/ag/news/shooting_reports.shtml (www.maine.gov)