A man who allegedly stole two police cruisers was wounded in a shootout with officers on Monday.
Gary Porter, 37, has been charged with theft, assault on a police officer, escape, eluding and violating his bail conditions, according to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Porter was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant about 7:18 a.m. Monday after the Paris Police Department received a report about a “suspicious male,” Moss said Monday evening.
He was taken to Stephen’s Memorial Hospital in Norway, where he was treated for conditions that Moss said were unrelated to his initial arrest.
Paris Police Chief Mike Dailey took Porter to the Oxford County Jail in South Paris. But while Dailey attempted to remove him from the cruiser, Porter slipped his handcuffs from back to front, moved into the driver’s seat and stole the cruiser, according to Moss.
Dailey was thrown from the cruiser as he tried to keep Porter from fleeing.
Police officers from several agencies began pursuing Porter until he crashed on Route 117 in Paris.
There officers confronted him and exchanged gunfire, wounding Porter, who then managed to steal an Oxford County Sheriff’s Office cruiser and drive a short way up the road before crashing again, according to Moss.
Porter was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. After he was released, Porter was taken to the Oxford County Jail.
The officers have all been placed on administrative leave as the Maine attorney general’s office investigates, which is standard procedure any time a law enforcement officer in the state uses deadly force. The Maine State Police are conducting a criminal investigation.
No additional information was immediately available.