News

AG: Police justified in shooting despite 37-foot distance

AG: Police justified in shooting despite 37-foot distance

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


BANGOR, Maine (AP) A police officer was justified in shooting a man in Bangor, despite a review of evidence that showed the officer was farther away from the man than previously thought, Maine’s attorney general said.

Attorney General Aaron Frey conducted a second review of the shooting of Brian Barker, who was shot three times and survived in 2018. Frey said Friday that his office determined that the officer was more than 37 feet away from Barker and not about 15 feet as it initially stated.

Frey said Barker’s movements leading up to the shooting still represented enough of a threat to justify the use of deadly force, the Bangor Daily News reported.

Bangor police officers were checking on Barker and saw that he had a knife, which they repeatedly asked him to put down. Frey said Barker’s movements before the shooting made it unclear if he was going to attempt to attack one of the officers on the scene, the Daily News reported.

The 21-foot distance marker between officers and a suspect is sometimes referred to as “kill zone” because officers are taught that at that distance an armed person can quickly close the distance.

Latest Headlines

2 minutes ago in Local

Brunswick Police: Woman Rammed Cruiser, Led High Speed Chases Before Arrest

Fresh

The suspect was denied bail because of underlying bail conditions.

36 minutes ago in Local

York Hospital Seeks Merger With MaineHealth

Fresh

The hospital says the merger process could take more than a year and will involve multiple steps. 

2 hours ago in Local

Threat prompts closure of Noble High and Middle schools on Halloween

Fresh

Noble Middle and High schools are closed on Friday following reports of a threat.

4 hours ago in Local

Maine State Police seek Patten man as part of ongoing investigation

Police are asking for help as they search for a Patten man.

11 hours ago in Sports, Trending

IOC and Saudi Arabia cancel their 12-year deal to host video gaming Esports Olympics in Riyadh

FILE -Olympic Rings are pictured in front of The Olympic House, headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the opening of the executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, March 28, 2023. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP, File)

The IOC and Saudi Arabia have canceled their 12-year deal to host the video gaming Esports Olympics in Riyadh in a rare setback for a sports project backed by the oil-rich kingdom.