Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced Friday that he has determined a York Sheriff’s Office deputy was acting in defense of himself and others when shooting a suspect multiple times in a November 2023 incident.
[RELATED: Bangor Police Justified in Shooting at Woman Brandishing Knives During June 2023 Incident: AG Frey…]
According to Attorney General Frey’s findings, outlined in a Friday letter to York County Sheriff William King, the incident in question involved the Southern Maine Special Response Team (SMSRT) assisting in the Nov. 8, 2023 arrest of a suspect on charges of domestic violence terrorizing with a firearm, and a violation of conditions of release.
The Eliot Police Department had sought assistance with the arrest from the SMSRT on the previous day, Nov. 7, because the suspect in question, 38-year-old Nicholas Goodwin of York, was known to law enforcement to have a significant criminal history, was known to carry a pistol and owned at least one body armor plate carrier, according to Frey.
Prior to the arrest, members of the SMSRT reviewed the arrest warrant affidavit for Goodwin, which included several threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend, who was also the mother of one of Goodwin’s children, Frey wrote.
The text messages allegedly included “This isn’t some game,” “You’ll be buried like everyone else on my list,” and “Now do as your f****** told or I’ll show up there simple as that.”
When Goodwin’s former girlfriend texted him that “the cops will just arrest you,” Goodwin allegedly responded, “They can f****** try and won’t cause they will be dead too. I’m not playing any games.”
Frey wrote that Goodwin then video-called his former girlfriend and asserted “he would leave my son crying in his crib with me dead while he battled it out with the cops,” and threatened to come to the girlfriend’s house and shoot her.
On the morning of Nov. 8, 2023, the SMSRT deployed two teams of four officers in two unmarked vehicles, along with a third command vehicle, to a residence on Mill Lane in York where Goodwin was believed to be.
When Goodwin was observed by police to be walking along the side of the road on Mill Lane, SMSRT commander Lt. Luke Ernenwein, who was operating the command vehicle, activated the blue lights of his cruiser and announced over the public address speaker, “Police, don’t move; police, don’t move; police, don’t move.”
Following this, a “flash bang” device was thrown by York Police Sgt. Jonathan Rogers, and tactical team members exited their vehicles and began approaching Goodwin.
According to Frey, when York Sheriff’s Deputy Alexander Markellos was approaching Goodwin, Goodwin looked over his right shoulder and reached into his waistband revealing a magazine pouch.
Deputy Markellos, seeing the magazine and what was apparently a handgun in Goodwin’s left hand, discharged his rifle in the direction of Goodwin, Frey wrote.
Goodwin sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and was heard to say “I dropped it” as officers were placing him in handcuffs.
Law enforcement recovered a 9 mm pistol with a 17-round magazine and its serial number scratched off and painted over from the scene, and found a Gerber knife, two switchblades, and two magazines on Goodwin’s person.
Goodwin survived his injuries and is currently awaiting trial on charges of domestic violence terrorizing with priors, two counts of violating conditions of release, violation of a protective order, criminal simulation and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office found that York County Deputy Markellos “reasonably believed” that Goodwin was posing an “imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death to himself and other officers” during the incident.
“The officers had clearly identified themselves and directed him not to move,” Frey wrote. “Mr. Goodwin refused to comply. Instead, he pulled out a firearm and appeared ready to shoot.”
Based on the findings of his investigation, Frey determined that Deputy Markellos was acting in defense of himself and others when he used deadly force against Goodwin.
Is it just me or is there a few missing charges? Where are the gun charges? Why do liberal DAs always drop the gun charges?