PITTSFIELD, Maine — The town’s longtime police chief died unexpectedly Saturday morning at his home, a year before he planned to retire, Town Manager Kathryn Ruth has confirmed.
Chief Steve Emery was 61, Ruth said. The cause of his death had yet to be determined as of Saturday evening. Information about funeral services was not immediately available.
“He was an interesting gentleman — one of my favorite employees and the best police chief I’ve ever had. It was truly sad,” Ruth said.
“This is basically a huge loss for the town. I’ve been [a] manager for 35 years and he’s definitely the best police chief I’ve ever worked with. Very common sense, able to problem solve, react to problem situations calmly,” she said.
“Everybody is grieving. It’s been a huge shock,” she said.
As chief, Emery led a department comprised of a sergeant, four full-time police officers and up to eight reserve officers. Sgt. Tim Roussin, who has been with the police department for about as long as Emery, has been appointed interim police chief, she said.
Emery initially was hired as a sergeant for the Pittsfield Police Department in 1982 and worked in that capacity until 1987, when he left the post to open an Exxon station in town, according to Ruth.
Emery returned to law enforcement in 1991, when he signed on as a patrol sergeant with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office. He applied for the Pittsfield police chief position when it opened up in 1993 and was appointed to that post the following year, she said.