Madawaska Police Peacefully Resolve Main Street Incident
Police closed down a section of Main Street in Madawaska for several hours late Tuesday as they attempted to resolve a situation with a 30-year-old man apparently suffering from symptoms of a mental health condition.
Madawaska Police Department was dispatched to an apartment building on Main Street at 3:20 p.m. in response to an individual having a post-traumatic stress episode, according to Chief Ross Dubois.
The responding officer made contact with the subject - a military veteran - who said that he wanted to initiate a confrontation with Law Enforcement Officers to have police shoot him.
Several law enforcement agencies responded and set up a perimeter around the building. When attempts to speak with the man failed, it was decided to scale back the number of officers at the scene in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, Dubois said.
At around 11:30 p.m., officers were able to make contact with the man, and determined it was safe to enter the apartment. The subject was taken into protective custody without incident. Police said there was no threat to the public.
“When we send our youth off to war, we need to do a better job at making sure our veterans receive the services they need when they return," Chief DuBois said in a news release. "We are considering this a medical issue and will not be pursuing any criminal charges at this time.”