Two police shootings in Mexico that Maine’s attorney general ruled justified are now under new scrutiny.
The Maine Deadly Force Review Panel has issued reports on both shootings.
The panel takes no position on whether a shooting is justified, that’s for the attorney general to decide, but the panel did find that in both Mexico shootings, there were things officers could have done differently.
Police body cams recorded the use of deadly force in August 2022.
A Mexico police lieutenant and Rumford police officer ordered Brandon Dearborn to drop his gun when he reportedly told officers to shoot him.
They tried to subdue Dearborn with a stun gun, but it was ineffective. When he pointed the gun at an officer, they fired.
He survived.
The review panel said an officer’s rifle malfunctioned and recommended all firearms be periodically inspected.
The panel also said officers involved in shootings should not be part of the on-scene investigation, and one was in this case. Rather, a ranking officer should assume command, which didn’t appear to have happened.
CBS 13 tried to speak with Rumford’s police chief, Tony Milligan, about the report. He said that he hadn’t read it yet.
Then in October 2022 another police shooting happened in Mexico, which also was ruled justified.
Officers were confronted by a man armed with a machete.Police ordered Daniel Tibbetts to drop the weapon, but he kept going toward officers. An officer fired a shot, Tibbetts kept walking, so he fired two more shots to stop him.
Again, the suspect survived.
The review panel said that officers should have had stun guns but didn’t.
There’s also no body camera footage. The panel said that body cams should be turned on as soon as possible in situations like this.
The review panel is asking Mexico and Rumford police to let its members know what’s being done to address their concerns. Right now, though, there is no police department in Mexico. It temporarily closed in August.
