The state is making recommendations after a police chief shot and killed a man he thought was holding a gun that turned out to be a wallet.
In March 2024, police say employees at the Brewer Walmart were holding 39-year-old Barry Chick Jr. for shoplifting. He later ran off.
The Maine attorney general’s office says Brewer Police Chief Jason Moffit found Chick nearby and ordered Chick to get down, which he did.
While on his hands and knees, investigators say Chick reached behind his back and pulled out something that Moffit thought was a gun.
Moffit fired once, shooting Chick in the neck. Investigators with the attorney general’s office say when Moffit went to render aid, he saw a black wallet on the ground.
The attorney general’s office says Moffit had every reason to believe Chick was drawing a gun and ruled the shooting justified.
The state’s Deadly Force Review Panel found there was a lack of body or cruiser cameras, Moffit wasn’t wearing a uniform, and his jacket lacked sufficient police ID.
The panel says plain clothes officers responding to an active call for service should clearly display identification whenever possible.
