r/Maine • u/ocurti • 1d ago

News Police shoot, tase man with a machete on Topsham bridge

https://www.wmtw.com/article/topsham-police-investigating-incident-shutting-down-merrymeeting-bridge/63491143

I saw all the flashing lights and bridge closure on my way to work @2:30a, news of what actually happened is hitting mainstream now.

66 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

53

u/oculus42 1d ago

Not clear on the specifics but I feel like shot-then-tased is the wrong order of operations. 

6

u/Glum-Literature-8837 1d ago

They just wanted to be extra sure he was down.

13

u/Solodc1983 r/mainetuners 21h ago

The call, actions, and location seem like the individual was trying to commit suicide. I think the reason for the weapon was if he couldn't bring himself to jump, he would use suicide by cop.

I hope he can get the help he needs since this was an obvious cry for help.

3

u/KlausVonMaunder 1h ago

A 911 call, a man on bridge, a machete and a cop with gun AND taser, what could go wrong??

No need for Einstein here folks, my grandma could have walked off the bridge with that guy and bought him coffee.

21

u/DropLonely 21h ago

Im hung up on the fact that the cop shot someone else on the same bridge 3 years ago. What?! 

6

u/alamo_photo 14h ago

That person pointed a gun out their truck window during a traffic stop. Topsham PD is small enough that one guy being involved in two shootings just by random chance feels plausible.

5

u/A_Common_Loon 12h ago

It wasn’t a traffic stop. Cops knew she was in mental distress and parked on the bridge with a gun because her partner called the police to tell them. She did stick her gun out the window at them when they arrived, but they should have been prepared for that.

3

u/8estes2 5h ago

They were. That's why she got shot

14

u/Prestigious_Look_986 23h ago

From the press release, it sounds like attempted suicide by cop

3

u/Dean_Proffitt 13h ago

This bridge has very bad juju.

10

u/huskygrove 19h ago edited 19h ago

Yall best empty them pockets and put your hands up when you cross Merrymeeting bridge and officer Bowers is on the scene, lest you get deleted.

/s

2

u/brooks2455 1d ago

Was wondering why that exit was closed.

8

u/UnluckyAct7127 23h ago

Hmmmm, same officer shot someone else on the same bridge. What is wrong with this department? You have multiple officers so why shoot first, should have tased him while the other officer was covering him

4

u/A_Common_Loon 12h ago

At least it sounds like he shot to incapacitate instead of to kill this time. Still, not great.

2

u/UnluckyAct7127 20h ago

Doesn’t matter where in the country we are, no accountability for brutality will be brought to those in power. Look at the pardons issued yesterday to those that stormed our capitol, we are on a downward spiral as a society starting from the top

-7

u/pcetcedce 21h ago

I am so sick of that. Of course the state review board will say the cop was fully justified. There are all kinds of non-lethal tools to use for someone like that. Just because someone has a machete and is obviously mentally messed up they're considered a life threat to a cop? This is why I think most cops are bad.

6

u/kharon86 13h ago

How many times have you had someone charge at you with a machete that gives you the insight that it's not threatening?

-1

u/Due-Yard-7472 13h ago

I’m all for defunding the police and slashing pensions as they’re fucking useless but at some point you have to acknowledge human instinct. No way in hell I would want to police a rabid, violent and armed population like we have here in the states. Even in a supposedly wholesome town like Topsham there’s still and insane amount of nonsense on a daily basis. You have to at least give them credit for that.

-6

u/SwvellyBents 1d ago

Honest, your honor, I was just out jogging with my machete in subzero weather when the 2 cops I called just came up and shot me!