Maine fee examines police reaction in Lewiston mass capturing

• A fee, assembled through Democratic Gov. Janet Turbines, is investigating a mass capturing in Maine that killed 18 other folks in Oct. 2023.
• The fee is reviewing occasions resulting in the shootings at a bowling alley and a cafe in Lewiston and analyzing the police reaction.
• The commissioners will pay attention from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Division, a police company that had touch with the shooter ahead of the incident.

A fee investigating a mass capturing that killed 18 other folks in Maine final 12 months is scheduled to listen to Thursday from a police company that had touch with the shooter ahead of he dedicated the killings.

Democratic Gov. Janet Turbines and state Legal professional Basic Aaron Frey assembled the fee to study the occasions that led as much as the shootings at a bowling alley and a cafe in Lewiston on Oct. 25. Commissioners, who’re retaining their 2d assembly Thursday, also are tasked with reviewing the police reaction.

The assembly will likely be public and can permit commissioners to talk to contributors of the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Division, a spokesperson for the fee mentioned.

MAINE SHOOTING: LEWISTON POLICE WERE WARNED ABOUT ROBERT CARD WEEKS BEFORE MASSACRE

Legal professionals for one of the most sufferers’ households have pointed to ignored alternatives to forestall Military reservist Robert Card, 40, from committing the shootings and was once discovered useless later on from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police movies acquired through The Related Press and different information companies confirmed that police declined to confront Card within the weeks previously, fearing it could aggravate an already risky scenario. Card’s declining psychological well being was once recognized to police, Military officers and members of the family, consistent with a large number of interviews.

Turbines and Frey mentioned Wednesday that they have got presented regulation to grant subpoena authority to the fee because it investigates, an influence that commissioners have mentioned they’re going to want.

“This regulation, which comes on the request of the Impartial Fee, will make certain that the fee has the gear it wishes to completely and successfully discharge its important venture of figuring out the information of the tragedy in Lewiston,” Turbines and Frey mentioned in a remark.

Thursday’s fee assembly is the primary of 4 by which there will likely be an open discussion board for feedback. Conferences with sufferers, Maine State Police and the Military also are scheduled.

The fee has mentioned it “will behavior its paintings in public to the best extent imaginable and factor a proper public record detailing its findings upon the realization of its investigation.” Contributors have mentioned they hope to provide a complete record through early summer time.

MAINE AUTHORITIES THOUGHT CONFRONTING ROBERT CARD WOULD INFLAME SITUATION IN WEEKS BEFORE SHOOTING: VIDEO

Police had been alerted final September through Military Reserves officers about Card, who have been hospitalized in July after displaying erratic conduct right through coaching. Officers warned police that he had get entry to to guns and had threatened to “shoot up” an Military Reserve middle in Saco.

An impartial record through the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Place of business after the capturing discovered that native regulation enforcement knew Card’s psychological well being was once declining and that he was once listening to voices and experiencing psychotic episodes. The record cleared the company’s reaction to issues about Card, however a number of felony professionals have mentioned it printed ignored alternatives to intrude.

The fee assembly Thursday is chaired through Daniel Wathen, former leader justice of the Maine Ideal Judicial Court docket. Different contributors come with Debra Baeder, the previous leader forensic psychologist for the state, and Paula Silsby, a former U.S. lawyer for the District of Maine.