Maine Police Search For ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Suspects Following Shoot Out In Rumford Friday Night

It was a tense evening in Rumford on Friday night. What started as an officer attempting to stop a suspiciously overcrowded vehicle on the Eaton Road ended with a disabled police cruiser, a shootout, a foot chase, and 3 suspects, considered armed and dangerous, still at large.

According to Chief Tony L. Milligan, Rumford Police Department, the trouble began around 10:30 Friday night when an officer from the Rumford Police Department tried to stop a silver-and-black Dodge Charger with multiple people inside of it.

Instead of pulling over, the car sped off, and the officer chased after it, calling for backup. Help came, and the 2 Rumford PD cruisers pursued the Charger westbound on U.S. Route 2. That's when authorities say the occupants started to open fire with several AR–15–style rifles on the officers chasing them.

The Oxford County Sheriff Department was called in at this point, and they sent multiple units to help, including one to set up spike mats in the area of Rumford Corner. During the chase, one of the cruisers became disabled.

Read More: Maine Officials Urge Responsible Driving For Labor Day Weekend

The chase continued, however, when the officer from the disabled cruiser hopped in with another cop's cruiser and continued on.

When police caught up to the Charger, it had been abandoned on the side of the South Rumford road.

The Maine State Police were dispatched. Chief Milligan says they deployed their drone and some K-9 Units to locate the individuals, who had fled into the woods along Route 232, near the Rumford town line.

"The coordinated search continued for nearly seven hours while investigators simultaneously collected evidence and interviewed witnesses. Firearms, suspected illegal drugs, and U.S. currency were seized; additional searches for evidence are ongoing."

Authorities were able to apprehend 2 of the suspects without incident. They say 3 others are still at large.

The remaining suspects are described as Hispanic males, in their 20s or 30s. They had been wearing dark-colored sweatpants and sweatshirts with sneakers, but authorities say they may have switched out their outfits.

Police say they believe the men may be armed with "AR-15 style rifles and pistols."

There was a shelter-in-place order issued at one point over the weekend, Friday night into Saturday, but once authorities were confident the suspects had left town, that was lifted Saturday.

Chief Milligan says if anyone in the state encounters these suspects or sees them, it's important to reach out to law enforcement immediately.

“Investigators believe the suspects do not live in the community and are no longer in the immediate area and may have left with assistance from an accomplice...
These individuals are dangerous and pose a significant risk to our officers and members of the community. We will utilize every resource we have—and those of our partners—to ensure safety in our community. We will not rest until these criminals are behind bars where they belong.”

If you do have any information on the whereabouts of these folks, you're asked to call 911 or reach out to the Rumford Police Department by calling (207) 364-4551. You can also leave an anonymous tip online via rumfordpd.org/contact-us.