If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.
A man accused of assaulting his girlfriend died Sunday after he jumped into Portland’s Back Cove to evade police.
Eric Cohen, 25, allegedly assaulted his 24-year-old girlfriend, leaving her unconscious, and a bystander who came to her assistance near Miss Portland Diner on Marginal Way about 1 p.m., according to Portland police Lt. Robert Martin, who later added that Cohen was suffering from a mental health crisis.
Cohen fled across the interstate toward the running path along the city’s Back Cove where officers located him on the path near the Interstate 295 off-ramps, Martin said.
Cohen then jumped into the cove, and a Portland Fire Department rescue boat was summoned. Rescuers pulled an unconscious Cohen from the water after he had been in there 24 minutes, according to Martin.
Cohen was taken to Maine Medical Center, where he died, Martin said.
The Maine medical examiner’s office in Augusta will determine a cause of death.
The 24-year-old woman, who was not identified, was taken to Maine Medical Center for injuries not considered life-threatening. The bystander, who also was not identified, did not require hospitalization, according to Martin.
Anyone with information about the incident can call the Portland Police Department at (207) 874-8575.