Acting Police Cheif Sauschuck Briefs the Press This Afternoon in Front of East End School
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Police Secure the Perimeter on the E. Prom this Afternoon
By Carol McCracken (Post # 846)
The allegedly armed and dangerous man that police spent several hours hunting for this afternoon on the Eastern Promenade surrendered himself voluntarily to police in the Riverton Park area of Portland said Acting Police Chief Michael Sauchuck at a press conference around 2:30 pm at the juncture of North Street and the Eastern Promenade – near the East End Community School on the Hill which was used as a communications center during the manhunt.
Around 12:25 pm police received an emergency call from Ingraham Crises Center saying that a troubled and armed veteran was hiding somewhere in the brush of the Eastern Prom. The unidentified man was homicidal/suicidal. Police secured the perimeter on the Eastern Prom from about Turner Street down to the Loring Memorial Park around 12:30 pm. John Dow, who lives in the area and was playing tennis there, was told by police to vacate the tennis court immediately because police were looking for a man “with a suspicious package.” Dow left.
Sauschuck said the man was talking to police officers in Riverton. At the time, Sauschuck did not know his identity, but said he was a white male 31, years old. He had no weapons with him nor was he in military dress nor could they see any connection with the military. The police will be determining in the near future whether there will be charges against the man for a criminal offense or whether there are mental health issues involved.
Eastern Prom resident, Dan Haley, was glad to hear the matter was somewhat resolved, but did add that there has been “a lot of activity with the homeless down in that area this summer. Someone should look into the situation down there. If there is ‘bad stuff’ going on down there, it could be a dangerous place for people working on the trails there.”
Editor’s Note: Since posting this article, police have arrested 30-year old Christopher Sanborn for filing a false public report, crating a police standoff and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.