The Aroostook County man who was killed by police late Monday following an hours-long standoff — in which he allegedly shot an officer and a police dog while holding his 4-week-old child captive — appeared to post a video on social media during the ordeal, in which he could be seen holding a rifle with a scope and explaining that he was resisting authorities because he opposed Maine’s abortion and gay rights laws.
Police have said they got into the standoff with Steven Righini, 29, of Portage Lake after a woman reported that he had pushed her into a wall on Monday morning. When they arrived, the woman had left the house but Righini was still inside with their infant child.
He allegedly refused to cooperate when police tried to take him into custody, firing a gun at officers as he retreated back into the home. Negotiators then spent several hours trying to get Righini to surrender before he was fatally shot by an officer while attempting to flee.
During the standoff, Righini apparently posted the video and a series of other messages from an account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I’m here. My name is Steven Righini. I am a resident of Maine and I had the cops called on me,” he said in the video. “A SWAT team showed up and I am now engaged in a shootout.” At another point, he said, “Now they’re trying to arrest me simply because I do not believe in gay rights and abortion.”
In written posts, he said he was resisting authorities “for the unborn babies” and because, “if the police protect the abortion clinics up to late term then they are enemies of my faith.”
“I’m sorry this had to happen, I really am, but I’m backed into a corner with my political beliefs,” he said in the video. He also said that police were trying to arrest him because of an argument with a woman and that they were trying to take his baby from him.
The standoff drew law enforcement officers from several different agencies to Portage Lake, where they gathered for much of the day in an area near Dean’s Motor Lodge and some officers could be seen wearing tactical gear and carrying long rifles.
In his initial shootout with police, Righini allegedly hit Deputy Shane Campbell in the shoulder. Campbell was treated at a hospital and released. Later, as Righini was fleeing, he shot a police dog, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois named Preacher, that later died of the injuries.
The Maine attorney general’s office is now handling the case, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the video.
In his 2 1/2-minute video, Righini switched topics frequently, claiming he had been unable to find work, and that he was trying to stand up for his country against Democrats. He directed some comments toward law enforcement officers, asking why they supported COVID-19 vaccines, abortion and protection of illegal immigrants and pedophiles.
“I love you, my parents. I love you, my wife. I love you, my daughter. I love you, all my beloved friends and business partners. And God bless you. I’m sorry it had to end this way,” he said before turning off the video.
