Portage Lake, a peaceful lakeside community of 360 residents, is still jarred by the events that unfolded last week when a resident was killed in a standoff with police.
Steven Righini, 29, allegedly shot an officer and a police dog before he was shot and killed by police after several hours of negotiations. The baby was returned to her mother unharmed.
On the morning of Feb. 3, multiple police agencies descended on the town, blocked roads and told residents to stay inside. Righini appeared to post comments and videos on social media during the standoff, holding a gun and saying he opposed Maine’s abortion and gay rights laws.
But nearly two weeks later, more questions than answers remain about who Righini was and what prompted his actions.
Residents are still shocked that the events happened in their normally peaceful town. They’ve expressed sadness for the people and the dog involved, although few knew anything about Righini or the woman he apparently had a child with.
Righini and that woman seemed nice when they occasionally came into Coffin’s General Store, according to store employee Haily Poulin. Poulin did not know the woman’s name.
“I just feel so bad for the mother,” Poulin said this week. “I’m glad the baby is back with her mom. And I’m sorry the dog was killed.”
Poulin and fellow employee Kara Jacques both noted how unusual the armed standoff was for their community.
“This kind of thing really doesn’t happen here,” Jacques said. “It’s jarring.”
Jacques wasn’t working the day of the standoff, but her residence overlooks Main Street and West Road, where police were headquartered during it, and she saw some of the action from her windows.
Police kept residents informed throughout the day and urged them to stay inside, she said.
The home where events unfolded is at 20 Ranger St. The property is owned by someone named Mark Righini of Weymouth, Massachusetts, according to Portage tax records. When the Bangor Daily News called a Weymouth business owned by someone of that name, the person hung up the phone.
Little is known about Steven Righini, who posted many comments on the social media platform X in the months before his death, using an account that has since been deleted. He touted a Donald Trump-themed cannabis seed business that he was involved with. He expressed excitement about the birth of his daughter and referred to a woman he described as his wife, but did not identify.
Aside from traffic infractions several years ago, Righini had no apparent criminal record in Maine, according to a background check the Bangor Daily News performed.
However, a protection from harassment order had been taken out against someone of his name in Lincoln District Court, a court clerk confirmed over the phone earlier in the week. The Bangor Daily News couldn’t obtain the records because the court was closed during the second half of the week.
A domestic dispute apparently started the Feb. 3 standoff. Police were called in after Righini had pushed a woman into a wall and she wanted to get away, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
Throughout the ordeal, Righini appeared to post commentary and video on X, holding a rifle with a scope.
“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 one video. “A SWAT team showed up and I am now engaged in a shootout.”
Police called Righini out and tried to take him into custody, but a struggle ensued, during which Righini allegedly shot Aroostook County Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Campbell in the shoulder, Moss said. During hours of negotiation, Righini refused to surrender. He tried to flee, then shot and wounded a police dog named Preacher.
When Righini pointed his gun at police, Troopers Andrew Hardy and Jonathan Russell shot and killed him, Moss said.
Campbell was treated at a hospital and released. The dog was taken to a veterinarian for treatment but died of the injuries.
Hardy and Russell, along with Deputy Reid Clark, were placed on administrative leave as is standard following police shootings in Maine.
Portage Lake is known for its all-season recreation — snowmobiling, fishing, camping and hunting. Jacques is not from the town but has lived there for several years, and recalls how people have made her feel welcome.
It’s a community where everyone takes care of each other, she said. In the aftermath of Feb. 3, people seem a little more cautious.
“It’s just the way we are here,” she said. “We don’t have a neighborhood watch, but we are a neighborhood watch.”
