The Bangor Police Department issued a lengthy statement on Thursday, referencing the 2002 science fiction movie Minority Report while addressing the arrest of a man caught on camera allegedly punching a woman on the street directly outside Second District U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s office.
[RELATED: Bangor Man Arrested for Allegedly Punching Dog and Assaulting Owner, Police and Himself…]
Security footage showing the alleged assault gained attention online, and the Bangor Police Department issued their statement in response to comments asking why officers were not already on scene.
“It should be noted that our employees would have relished the opportunity to be on the scene when the crime occurred, of course. Even more so, we would have loved to interrupt the suspect just before it took place. That did not happen. In the 2002 movie, ‘Minority Report,’ Police were able to charge others for future crimes. But, now, twenty-three years later, we don’t yet have that technology. We apologize,” said the Police Department via their official Facebook page.
“Tom Cruise has made many aspects of our job difficult, but we were only recently informed that he isn’t really a Naval Aviator. Who knew? Not us,” they continued.
The department reminded Bangor residents that law enforcement are still required to perform due diligence before arresting someone, even if a clear video of the alleged crime goes viral.
“Regardless of how clear a widely viewed video recording is, due diligence is required before we make an arrest. Our Officers did just that once apprised about the upsetting incident— incidentally, formerly referred to, more often, as a crime. Better news is that once Bangor Police Department Officers saw the video, more than one was able to identify the male suspect, and soon after, made an arrest,” said the Bangor Police.
“Please bear with us when crimes require some investigation. At this point, Mr. Sharp’s future will be determined by the other cogs in the criminal justice system. Frankly, sometimes it takes a minute,” they added.
Police urged people to share any footage of criminal activity with the department before sharing them on social media, so they can identify and arrest perpetrators before they become social media sensations.
“If you possess video of crimes in progress, please consider sharing it with us, even before they make it into the social media landscape. We can’t make you do that, but it does make our job so much easier for us to see it, too. Keep your hands to yourself, leave other people’s things alone, and be kind to one another,” they said.
You can find the full video of the alleged assault here:
Police arrested Anthony Jessory Sharp, 34, of Bangor in connection with the alleged assault on Thursday, and he faces charges for domestic violence assault.
