Fryeburg Police Officer Cleared Of Wrongdoing In Fatal Shooting

The Maine Attorney General's Office has cleared a Fryeburg Police Officer after he fatally shot a suspect earlier this year.

Maine Police Took Over the Pursuit of a Pickup Fleeing NH Police

Fryeburg Police Officer Michael St. Laurent shot Kenneth W. Ellis, 52, of Massachusetts on January 30, 2024. Ellis died at the scene.

The incident began when Officer St. Laurent and Deputy Sheriff Justin Groetzinger were together at the Fryeburg Fire Department and learned that police in New Hampshire had just cut off a high-speed pursuit as the suspect approached the Maine border. When the suspect's Ford F-150 pickup truck sped by, Officer St. Laurent activated his lights and siren and tried to get the driver to pull over but the vehicle sped off, darting in and out of the oncoming lane in heavy traffic. The officer was about to cut off the pursuit when the F-150 hit several vehicles and stopped on Main Street in Fryeburg, in front of a bank.

When the Suspect Got Out of His Truck in Fryeburg, He Was Holding a Knife

According to a report from the Maine Attorney General's Office, St. Laurent approached the vehicle and ordered Ellis to get out of the truck with his hands up. But when he noticed that Ellis was not getting out and was 'digging' around the center console, St. Laurent began to back up, still ordering Ellis out of the vehicle. Officials say when Ellis finally got out of the truck, he had a knife and quickly moved toward the police officer. Officer St. Laurent continued to order the man to drop the weapon, but when he realized that Ellis was closing the distance faster than he could back up, he fired his gun.

Maine's Attorney General's Office Says Ellis Was Positive for Illegal Substances

Toxicology tests determined that Ellis was positive for fentanyl and methadone and an autopsy determined he died of multiple gunshot wounds. Officials say the knife found near Ellis's body had an overall length of 8.6 inches, with a 4.5-inch blade.

The Maine Attorney General's Office investigated this shooting, as is normal procedure in any police-involved shooting, and determined that St. Laurent feared for his life and acted in self-defense.