BANGOR, Maine — Police are releasing few details about the homicide of a local man who died Tuesday after being stabbed in a fight on First Street except to say they continue to work on figuring out what happened.
“We spoke to quite few people,” Bangor police Detective Sgt. Paul Kenison said Thursday. “The first day we talked to as many people as possible” and have continued to conduct interviews.
No arrests have been made in the fatal stabbing, Sgt. Cathy Rumsey said Friday night.
Andy D. Smith, 38, was stabbed with some type of weapon at around 1:45 a.m. Tuesday and later died at Eastern Maine Medical Center. The state medical examiner’s office determined his death was a homicide and that the cause of death was stabbing.
Police arrived at the scene of the stabbing, the area of 69 and 71 First St., shortly after 911 was called.
“It was a matter of a minute or two,” Kenison said.
They found the injured Smith at 69 First St. bleeding profusely and detained several people in handcuffs — four or five of them — after arriving, two witnesses said.
One eyewitness, a longtime friend of Smith’s, said the stabbing involved a group of people — one with a weapon — defending a woman who was in a fight with Smith.
Smith’s friend Eugene “Shawn” Cox, a resident of 69 First St., said as the former couple argued, another woman, who lives at 71 First St., “came out with a two-by-four and she hit him,” apparently in defense of the first woman. “He got the two-by-four away from her and she called for her friends. They all started on him.”
Seconds later, Smith was bleeding from a wound to his left rib area and was trying to get away. Cox said he did not see who stabbed his friend. He grabbed a pipe and ran downstairs and said he encountered his bleeding friend at the bottom of the steps.
Police are not revealing whether a weapon was recovered from the scene.
“I am not able to tell you that,” Kenison said.
Smith was a 1992 graduate of Bangor High School, had studied at the University of Maine and recently had lived in Mendocino, Calif., according to his Facebook page.
He moved back to the area three or four months ago because he has two children, ages 7 and 11, who live in Orono, his friend said.
Police are urging anyone with information about the stabbing to call the Bangor Police Department at 947-7382. Those who wish to remain anonymous may press 6 to leave a message on the tip line.
Such a sad state of affairs. This whole mess was because two people were fighting and the police weren’t called until it was too late.
Spot on frosty. The local radio interviewed a woman after this incident and she stated that the fighting had been going on “all night”. If only one person had decided to make a phone call earlier who knows how this would have turned out.
when you live in an area where this is an everyday thing you stop calling the police,or you would be calling almost every day, you see how seriously the police took it by the time they arrived someone was dead (the police station is pretty much across the street from this apartment)
The cops can put them all in jail until the cows come home but if the whole street is out on bail conditions, what more can the cops do? As it is, most everyone that is put in jail is out before the cops get the reports done.
Maybe instead of ‘another woman’ who lives at 71 first street, coming out yielding a 2×4, she could have picked up her phone and dialed 911, and reported what she saw.. Oh wait. that would have been sensible, why call the police when you can rip a 2×4 off the wall of your house and come running outside joining in on the meylee
Not sure that bunch is the ” call the police” type of crowd.
Unless they are calling the police names.
That would be more in keeping with these pillars of the community there.
They did a lot of interviews in the Greenleaf case too. Look at how that turned out.
Sure did. Good thing they did or someone might have thought a crime occurred
If you push someone at the very least it is assault.
Legally, it depends on what the “someone” did before the push. Regardless, if a DA, Grand Jury, Jury or Judge disagree, then it can’t be.
Well In some ways I think that case was handled a bit differently than most cases . My personal feeling is the case should not have been handed to the Penobscot grand jury to to the fact that it involved well know public figures the grand jury could have been biased . Was it I do not know. But it could have been . Let say a few jury member have kids at Bangor school maybe one has a teacher in the family . Maybe another has a position in state government or law enforcement. A good chance it if was men from the other side of the tracks the case outcome could have been different. I personally know at least a few people who got off easy because who they are or knew.
You are being civil and for that I thank you. I will do the same despite the fact that the Greenleaf camp is driving me batty. In my time in Bangor, I have gotten to know a good number of cops, A.D.A.’s, defense attorney’s, and private I’s. I have been witness to many incidents as they happened and then the fallout afterwards. For the incidents that I have seen with my own two eyes, I have been absolutely floored by the positions that family and friends of the accused have taken. In this case, its the victims family and friends. The conspiracies are common but rarely justified when considered by objective, reasonable people. They are driven by emotion. It’s human nature to want to support those whom you care about. But its not always reasonable.
I have personally talked to one of the detectives, a couple of the A.D.A.’s. They are all confident that while this was tragic, it was not criminal.
I unfortunately also spoke to the P.I. for the Greenleaf camp. He was completely unreasonable and fed the conspiracy theories by asserting that he had special insight due to his law enforcement “experience.” Unfortunate his “experience” was a short stint and a small PD before getting fired and then not being able to get ANYONE to hire him. He pumps all the local cops for details and then argues with them when they don’t agree. He even tries to get info out of their wives while they try to work out at the gym. THis could be a big pay check from him the longer he drags it out. It’s actually quite pathetic.
I have a high degree of confidence that politics and “people in high places” had far less to do with case than is being suggested. I’m all for justice. Especially when people try to assert their status to get out of things. I just don’t see it in this case.
The misinformation about the case in the BDN did not help the general public to understand. I cannot say I was not there. I did read every artical in the BDN . It would seem to tell a different story every time. Not much for real retractions . Mr. Gastia statement did not seem to clear things up much when he said “I could release the name but I won’t”. The general public has little idea what really took place I agree. I did have a time when i was arrested for something I did not do. The assistant DA. refused to drop charges even after the witness admitted to lying. Did not have facts strait in court. I feel i was lucky the judge was decent enough to call the DA. on His facts not being strait and called for a recess and gave me a dismissal. In another case I was guilty found guilty but still sticks in my head about the little white lie “I not remember type” by the cop. Had he remembered he would not have maybe had probably cause to stop me on a .08 OUI. Times have changed at least I hope they have in the last 20 years or so. Police human most are decent . A few use thier position at least in small ways. Piece you might be right about this . I will admit I do not know.
A lot has changed. 40 years ago, you just had to be over 6′ and 200 lbs and willing to scrap with some drunks. Today you have to be a politician, mediator, lawyer, ADA, counselor, therapist, parent, (to someone else’s kids), referee, detective, evidence specialist, author etc etc. You get the point. I did a ride along with a Bangor cop a couple of years ago. The cop got out of the cruiser on a basic drunk passed out on the sidewalk call. While he was trying to get the drunk to move along, I counted 8 people gawking, three with their camera phones out. Everyone is watching when the cruiser pulls up. There’s camera’s everywhere, every word is being recorded, every move they make. It would be very hard to be a liar these days. From my experience with local cops, there are a few great one’s, a bunch of good one’s and a handful of lazy cops. The crooked ones are very few and far between. I’ve not met one myself but obviously there are a few out there.
Hey I agree with you on that . When I need to talk to a cop (not in a real emergency most times) I know which ones that I get along with and who might be abrasive. 13 years since I drank having a son of my own makes me see things differently now. Some connect well on a people level . I cannot say any Bangor cops are crooks .
Shocking behavior coming from First St.
Oh wait……