WATERVILLE, Maine — A Winslow man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a man who was shot outside a Waterville bar Tuesday night, authorities said.
Justin V. Smith, 26, of China was shot at approximately 11 p.m. Tuesday outside You Know Who’s Pub on the Concourse, Maine State Police Lt. Chris Coleman said at a press conference Wednesday morning. Smith was taken by ambulance to a MaineGeneral Medical Center campus in Waterville, where he died.
Matthew Partridge, 30, of Winslow was charged with murder in connection with Smith’s death.
Partridge made his initial appearance Wednesday afternoon in Waterville District Court, where Judge Robert Mullen ordered him held without bail.
Mullen asked Partridge if he had any questions regarding his rights.
“No, Your Honor,” replied Partridge, who stood in orange, jail-issued clothing wearing handcuffs. He had abrasions on his nose.
Mullen said he did not have the jurisdiction to accept a plea from Partridge, so he entered no plea. A bail hearing will be scheduled for Thursday.
Outside the courtroom, attorney Jason Jabar of Waterville, who represented Partridge in court, said Pamela Ames likely will be assigned as Partridge’s attorney and Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy likely will hear the case.
Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson represented the state in court on Wednesday.
During Wednesday morning’s press conference, Waterville Police Chief Joe Massey said police responded late Tuesday night to the Concourse in downtown Waterville and found a man who had been shot. Winslow and Oakland police assisted, he said.
“As a result of that shooting, we called the state police for their assistance and [the Major Crimes Unit] to come in and investigate … what appeared to us to be a homicide,” said Massey.
Coleman said that witnesses reported seeing a pickup truck with a broken headlight leaving the scene.
“Initial responding officers from Waterville PD gathered critical information regarding the vehicle description,” said Coleman.
A Maine State Police trooper pulled over a vehicle matching the description on Route 8 in Smithfield at 11:26 p.m. Tuesday.
“The vehicle had a headlight out, so a traffic stop was [done] and it was determined that it was the one involved in the shooting,” said Coleman. “He was alone at the time.”
Partridge was arrested and taken to the Waterville police station and eventually transferred to the Kennebec County Jail, where he will be held without bail until a hearing is scheduled.
Coleman said the two likely were unacquainted and the shooting occurred after a confrontation between them outside the bar.
“This investigation is still active,” Coleman said. “We feel fairly certain there was an altercation in the bar. This shooting appears to be a result of that altercation.”
Coleman would release few other details, including what kind of gun was used and how many shots were fired.
“At this point the investigation is very active and open, so we have to be careful about what we say,” said Coleman. “We are looking at all those aspects. We need to make sure we have as clear of a picture as possible about what happened prior to the shooting and after. We’re fortunate in the sense that the Waterville Police Department responded almost immediately. They were able to secure the scene and identify potential witnesses for us early, early on.”
Coleman added that Partridge is the only person who has been charged with a crime related to the shooting.
The Concourse is a parking lot and shopping center nestled in downtown Waterville with a short road connecting Main and Spring streets. The area has been host to incidents in the recent past, including one in which a man was arrested in November after police said he tried to start a fight on the Concourse, and a stabbing in May on Temple Street, directly across Main Street from the Concourse.
The chief medical examiner’s office in Augusta was to conduct an autopsy on Smith’s body Wednesday afternoon, McCausland said.
Bangor Daily News Digital Desk editor Andrew Catalina contributed to this report.
Waterville is a tough town. Just ask the governor.
But don’t take his picture. He hates that!
Actually, he probably doesn’t mind his picture being taken. It is the quotes that are driving him foolish. It sounds like they may be driving the Koch brothers crazy too with his tendency to put his mouth in gear before engaging his brain.
Hmmmmmm let’s look at the equation…….ETOH + Gun + Testosterone = what could possibly go wrong ?
It is everyone’s sacred second amendment right to bring a gun to a bar fight. And if someone gets killed, well, freedom isn’t free™, guns don’t kill people, people kill people™, he could just as well have killed him by running him over with a car™, the laws we have are just fine, they only need to be enforced™, if the other fellow had a gun too, we could have had a “fair” shootout™, if everyone in the bar were armed, they could have defended the victim™.
And, above all, let’s not have any talk about diminishing the profits of the death industry. It is almost the only thing we lead the world in these days.
Perfectly stated and unfortunately you are correct….we do lead the developed world in having the highest gun related homicides…..go figure.
Crazy isn’t it? We have the third largest population in the world, and allow guns to be carried by almost anyone–strange isn’t it that with those unbelievable circumstances that we would lead the world in gun related crime. Who would have thought?!
Perfectly stated except the minor detail that it’s just not factual that the second amendment allows guns in bar fights or in bars at all for that matter. So, we already have a law against guns in bars, and yet this guy seems to have had one. So what do you suggest, that we make it doubly or triply illegal to have a gun in a bar? If one law clearly making an act illegal doesn’t do it, pass two of three more laws! Short of a big magnet coming out of the sky and permanently removing the millions of guns currently in the US, how do you suggest that guns be kept out of the hands of people who are willing to break the law? Passing more gun control laws will ensure that law abiding people don’t have access to guns, but they won’t keep guns out of the hands of those willing to break that law any more than drug laws keep drugs out of the hands of those who don’t mind breaking the law to get them.
Actually, guns are not allowed at a bar by state law…
Clearly an effective law…..
Drugs are illegal too, yet its rampant throughout the state. So your point is?
Yes, clearly drugs and guns are the same thing simply due to the commonality that they are both illegal. Not quite.
How many people have you heard about being killed by someone else administering illegal drugs in their body against their will ? Probably not many. Do people die from drug use ? Yes. Generally due to their own addiction and inability to successfully manage their addiction. Not quite the same thing as someone being shot to death (against their will) by someone else who has a gun.
Drugs are not mentioned in the Constitution as a right, that said, perhaps not every imbecile who wants to own a gun should have access to owning a gun- THAT was my point.
He could have stabbed him to death. Should we ban blades as well?
And my point is that you can try to put as many laws on the books as you want against guns, but the further you push, the closer you will only end up infringing on the second amendment rights of legal gun owners. That is the thing about criminals…the law means nothing to them. So adding new laws and making tighter gun restrictions won’t help at all. It will not stop crime.
You always hear the old story that some young kid is a great person, never had a problem with the law or got into trouble. One day they stumbled onto drugs, got addicted, and suddenly became a criminal–and once caught people crawl out of the woodwork saying how good of a person they were/are. How is gun ownership any different? Someone obtains a gun legally, has a clean background, and then they do something like this? Its impossible to prevent. So how would tighter gun restrictions help in situations like this? Granted, I am not saying its the case here, but I bet there are many instances like this out there.
Its not like he got away with his crime. He was caught and will ultimately serve time in prison–unless of course our strict judicial system decides to pass blame onto something besides the individual committing the crime, which is always likely in this state.
Amen. If he had stabbed him to death with a knife would we talk about banning knives?
they are with two conditions.
1- the person with a firearm cannot be drinking
2- the bar does not have a sign that bars people from carrying.
3- the person is a private eye or law enforcement officer.
you are correct, if they are performing their official duties both are exempt. if they are off duty they are not
Incorrect… Any establishment thats primary purpose is to sell alchohol than firearms are not allowed, unless LE or Private Investigator… This goes for CCW carriers as well, drinking or not
you should look it up. here is the section that applies, and below is a link to the entire law book.
“A. Not being a law enforcement officer or a private investigator licensed under
Title 32, chapter 89 and actually performing as a private investigator, the person
possesses any firearm on the premises of a licensed establishment posted to
prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms in a manner reasonably likely to come
to the attention of patrons, in violation of the posted prohibition or restriction; or
B. While under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs or a combination of
liquor and drugs or with an excessive blood-alcohol level, the person possesses a
firearm in a licensed establishment.
http://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/licenses/documents/Weapons/CFP%20Booklet.pdf
In a bar. Though the fight took place outside the bar according to the above, so isn’t this sidebar moot?
I was just about to say the same thing. The law prevents guns from being inside of a bar, it says nothing about being around or near one.
The only murder I ever witnessed was a fellow shot outside a bar…by the bartender! Now I don’t trust bartenders. And now you tell me I can’t carry in a bar?!
actually the second amendment has nothing to do with bringing guns into bars. it has to do with having a gun if you are in a militia that is fighting for our country. not everyone has a right to have a gun in this country.
Well I’m sure the guy who did the shooting is in the militia….not just some behaviorally dysregulated person who has no business owning a gun. I feel safer already.
actually we do… check out mcdonald v chicago from 2010.
Oh stop it. We could ban guns if you would like, but its not going to stop crime or deaths at the hands of criminals. Had he not had a gun and he was enraged enough to kill this person, he would have just used another weapon. So rather than play the tired old game of blaming inanimate objects, please come forward with a real way to resolve the problem of people committing crimes and murders.
Obviously the law is not enough of a deterrent to some–though I bet in the coming weeks we will get to see the blame be put on something else anyway. The guy was insane, he was off his meds, he has a drinking problem, and of course let’s blame the gun. Let’s blame everything but the individual for grabbing a weapon and murdering someone over an argument. That individual is just a victim of the NRA’s overpowering control on guns…right? I guess I just don’t understand why we cannot ever put blame where its due, on the individual, when a gun is involved. Had he used another weapon, its just senseless violence, but put a gun into the situation and we must do something about the rampant gun problem!
We do have a sacred 2nd amendment right; however, unless you are a sworn police officer you cannot bring a gun to a bar fight because it is illegal to carry a firearm (open or concealed) on your person into a liquor establishment.
you can carry (concealed not open), in a bar in Maine. unless they have a sign to prohibit it, or you are drinking.
17-A M.R.S.A. § 1057, Possession of firearms in an establishment licensed for onpremises
consumption of liquor
1. A person is guilty of criminal possession of a firearm if:
A. Not being a law enforcement officer or a private investigator licensed under
Title 32, chapter 89 and actually performing as a private investigator, the person
possesses any firearm on the premises of a licensed establishment posted to
prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms in a manner reasonably likely to come
to the attention of patrons, in violation of the posted prohibition or restriction; or
B. While under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs or a combination of
liquor and drugs or with an excessive blood-alcohol level, the person possesses a
firearm in a licensed establishment.
I know the gun battle rages on and this incident will move the throttle ahead a little locally, I’m sure. Guns are very dangerous. I know guns can be so incredibly dangerous. They are a “magnifier” — they magnify stupidity, anger, carelessness, etc. However, one fact remains. If we are NOT allowed to have them, but the government is, well, history says that is not such a good idea…..
Yes, thank God for our 2nd Amendment rights so we can defend ourselves against the government, if need be.
Because we all know the weaponry we the citizens carry can easily match or overwhelm the weapons the government owns…
LMAO “sacred”. Where in the bible, koran, torah, rig-veda, or any other religious text does it say even one word about owning a gun?
If people had to pass a basic intelligence test to own a gun, we’d have orders of magnitude less gun crime. Of course, this policy would need to have been in place for about 100 years already to be effective. No turning back at this point.
Yeah, but now he gets props from the homies. He’s a tough guy.
Seasonal depression?
waterville is a cesspool of a city. i had the misfortune of living there for a few years before i came to my senses and left. my condolences to the family.
Waterville isn’t a cesspool. One shooting doesn’t make the whole place a cesspool! I work in Waterville and I find this to be a pleasant, quiet, peaceful town. Yes, you have bad apples, but you get that everywhere. I’d rather live here than Chicago where they had over 400 homicides this year.
i think you may be the only person i’ve ever met that’s describe waterville as pleasant, quiet and peaceful. in all seriousness, i’m glad you enjoy the place, i did not.
Maybe it is all a matter of perspective? I try and look on the bight side of life and I realize that there are much worse places to be. Many of them, in fact.
yes, it is of course relative. let’s just put it this way, i’m from maine, but i’ve lived all over the eastern us, and waterville was among the worst. sure, there are worse places out there, but you hear of them and stay away from them. when i came to waterville, i didn’t expect the kind of rampant drug and alcohol abuse, theft (petty and not so petty), and other assorted crime in a small maine city even though, statistically speaking, i think it hovers around the national average in terms of crime. like i said before, i’m glad you like waterville, and i truly hope it improves. perhaps this young man’s senseless death will help spur improvement.
I lived in Boston back in 1999-2000 and I was mugged on Christmas Eve.
Waterville HAS become a cesspool. The city itself is still pretty nice……..but man, the amount of druggies, drug dealers, shady criminals, transients that have moved into the Waterville area is pretty troublesome.
Augusta is trying hard to be the cesspool champ.
What is it about Waterville? I hear so many negative things about that town, not the least of which is the amount of illegal drugs availabe on practically every street corner. Glad I’m 70 miles away from that town.
No jobs, no hope, too many drugs…it is sad. May God bring comfort to the family.
look at bangor
look at lewiston.
look at Waterville……..much worse than both of them.
pretty much what taxpayer1958 said. its an old mill town with no mills. it was bad when i lived there over a decade ago and from what i understand, it has gotten a lot worse.
love u buddy….forever missed
RIP JS
this is a tragedy… i don’t know the particulars of this situation… but i did live in Waterville and had a business looking out over the concourse. the combination of poverty, lack of jobs, and availability of prescription drugs leads to a poor quality of life. ad guns to despair and addiction and more death is the result
Maine is getting worse year after year. Another senseless death. My condolences and prayers for the family.
Be it guns, knives or what ever is used, the way life should be isn’t no more. It’s not the wild west here, It’s Maine. Stemming the epic increase of drugs and violence needs to be the main goal of all Maine people.
I.M.O.
And they say guns don’t kill people.. hmmmm……
you’re right.
In fact, every day I leave for work i have to disassemble my gun and put every part locked away in seperate safes.
If I left it assembled it might grow legs and walk out my door and kill someone while i’m away.
Guns don’t kill people.
People kill people.
guns just make it easier to do so.
although knives are just as effective at close range.
They don’t. He killed someone not the gun!
yeah right.. they both did
chris coleman must be getting pretty tired on being spokesman for all these murders
Even a tragedy doesn’t stop some people from expressing political opinions…what a shame…..
Waterville has become a hole. Really too bad…….it used to be such a nice little city with a very nice downtown………now it looks like the dregs of Massachusetts with a bunch of drugged out criminals walking around.
I am astonished at the amount of comments that are left here and the lack of condolences that were expressed but instead rants about the Governor and Waterville and anything else that frustrated you today.
Did everyone forget that a man was killed last night? That children are left without a father, a mother and father without a son, a sister without a brother?
I had hoped to see all the comments that that stated how wonderful a person Justin was but instead most wanted to rant their opinions which is fine but find a better place than here please and at the very least wish the family well!
With that said may Justin rest in peace and guide and teach the rest of us to be strong as we try to make this world a better place for his children to grow. My prayers go out to his family, children and all of our friends.
<3
Well said! There seems to be a great lack of empathy and compassion in the hearts of many of those who comment on tragic stories such as this one. My condolences to this young man’s family and friends for their tragic loss, as well. And may his killer be brought to justice.
Very well said but the truth of the matter is that Waterville is a cesspool
Here’s a tip, if your family is in the BDN for any reason DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS!
30 years old?? Looks 50. Sheeesh!
I was scrolling through the comments hoping to read something about the victim or assailant from someone who knew either of them. Someone to put a better prospective on the human side of the story, and it’s two main characters. Sharing something more substantial than a simple RIP JS might give us a better understanding of those involved, and the impact this unfortunate incident will have on those that know them and the members of their communities.
So far, there is nothing mentioned here, or in the article, that would lead one to believe that either of the two have any redeeming qualities that would cause us to be the least bit remorseful. Doesn’t anyone who knows them have anything positive to say about them?
I don’t know Waterville very well, especially the nightlife but did this pub have some Tuesday evening attraction that brought out a crowd each week; being that one man was from Winslow and one from China? Especially on a Tuesday evening, especially if one (Partridge) was going to be driving after drinking. Couple more lives wasted. Be a shame if either man has children who will be without their father….one of them forever.
the deceased just had a child a few months ago.
Chris Coleman just gets creepier and creepier looking… lost a lot of weight since the Dan Borders case, he just looks sketchy… opening his mouth less when he speaks and he and his company always seem to be smirking about something…
This guy looks like the type of pudgy, ineffectual little loser who typifies those that tote guns around with them.
I carry, and I look and act nothing like that.
Note to the editors: the appropriate designation would have been “Chinese man.” Or just, you know, “man.” Since his being Chinese has nothing whatsoever to do with the story.
Additional reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinaman_(term)