News

Man holding a burning gas can charges at police and is fatally shot by a deputy, authorities say

Man holding a burning gas can charges at police and is fatally shot by a deputy, authorities say

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio, Associated Press


BELFAST, Maine (AP) — A man holding a burning gas can who charged at police was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy, authorities in Maine said.

The 65-year-old man called the Waldo County Dispatch Center on Monday afternoon and said he was going to burn down his apartment building in Belfast if law enforcement did not respond, the county sheriff’s office and the Belfast Police Department said in a joint news release.

The man continued to threaten to burn down the building as sheriff’s deputies and police arrived, the news release said. As they entered the building, the man “charged the officers with a gas can that was on fire,” and a deputy shot and killed him, it said.

The man was identified as Daniel Ryan. A search did not immediately find a phone number for him or family members.

The deputy, Sgt. Nicholas Oettinger, will be placed on administrative leave as the attorney general’s office investigates, the release said.

Oettinger worked as deputy in Monroe County, Florida, before joining the Waldo County Sheriff’s office in 2010, according to The Republican Journal.

Belfast is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Bangor.

Latest Headlines

10 minutes ago in Local

High Trails at Baxter State Park Closed for Season

Fresh

The closure includes Owl Trail, which is the northernmost section of the Appalachian Trail

58 minutes ago in Local

New York Man Tracked Down For Maine Murder

Fresh

Maine State Police say the investigation is ongoing.

2 hours ago in Local

Girlfriend of man killed in Standish charged with murder

Fresh

A Standish woman is charged with murder for the death of her boyfriend.

2 hours ago in Local

Man sought by police after picking up thousands in cash that fell from vehicle in Kennebunk

Fresh

Police in Kennebunk are asking for information about a man seen picking up $7,400 in cash that fell off the roof of a car.

24 hours ago in Local

Final Maine Fall Foliage Report Released

State fall foliage spokesperson Gale Ross has declared it "Maine's Weekend"