BANGOR, Maine — A man was shot and killed by Bangor police on Tuesday night in an incident near Leadbetter’s at 1105 Hammond St., according to Police Chief Mark Hathaway.
The attorney general’s office is investigating.
“Earlier this evening, a Bangor officer stopped an automobile here at 1105 Hammond Street,” Hathaway said at the scene. “The driver of the automobile got out of the car and ran. The officer gave chase. Subsequently there was an officer-involved shooting.
“The individual that ran is deceased. The officer was not injured. This matter remains under investigation by the office of the attorney general,” he said. “We have no more to release this evening.”
Hathaway did not field any questions after his news conference.
A woman who was in the car with the man who fled was seen being led away in handcuffs.
Initial reports suggest that the vehicle police pulled over had been reported stolen but that could not immediately be verified on Tuesday night.
Also unclear is whether the man who led the officer on the chase was armed or if he shot at police.
Multiple people reported hearing more than 10 shots fired as police and emergency medical personnel swarmed the area. Witnesses said police had stopped a car and a male occupant bolted into the woods before shots were fired.
An employee of nearby Hammond Lumber who did not want his name disclosed said he heard between 10 and 15 shots ring out shortly after 6 p.m. He said it appeared that the shooting occurred in a wooded area behind the filling station.
Paul Osborn, a Massachusetts truck driver who was in the area to drop off some equipment, said he heard about 10 shots fired while at the store getting a bite to eat.
“I don’t know what was going on but it was hot,” he said.
Hermon resident Ryan Wylie said he saw a police officer talking to a man near a white or silver vehicle. He said a woman was in the car. After the man ran off, he heard 10 to 12 shots fired.
No further information was immediately available.