Three suspects remain at large and armed with “AR-15 style” rifles and handguns after a group of five suspects allegedly opened fire on Rumford police officers on Friday night, sparking a shelter-in-place order in the area.
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“These individuals are dangerous and pose a significant risk to our officers and members of the community. We will utilize every resource we have—and those of our partners—to ensure safety in our community. We will not rest until these criminals are behind bars where they belong,” said Rumford Police Chief Tony L. Milligan in a statement on Saturday.
A Rumford police officer initiated a traffic stop at around 10:30 p.m. on Friday on Eaton Hill Road after he spotted an allegedly suspicious silver and black Dodge Charger with multiple occupants.
Instead of stopping for the officer, the Dodge Charger’s driver allegedly fled at high speed, sparking a chase. An additional officer joined the pursuit after seeing the speeding vehicle.
Suspects traveled westbound on U.S. Route 2 for about half a mile before turning onto South Rumford Road. Once on that road, the suspects in the vehicle allegedly opened fire on the pursuing police officers with at least one “AR-15 style” rifle, shooting multiple “volleys” at the officers during the pursuit.
The pursuing officers requested backup from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office. One deputy responded to South Rumford Road/State Route 232 and deployed spike strips to stop the Dodge Charger.
While pursuing the suspects, the lead officer’s vehicle became disabled, and the officer inside abandoned the cruiser and entered his partner’s cruiser to continue the pursuit. It is unclear whether the cruiser became disabled due to the alleged gunfire.
Shortly after, the lead officer was forced to abandon his vehicle. Police located the suspect vehicle on South Rumford Road, approximately a quarter mile before the intersection with Milton Road. The vehicle is believed to have crashed while navigating one of the road’s S-curves.
Officers determined that the suspects allegedly fled on foot into the woods, and began a search with the assistance of the Maine State Police Tactical Team, drones, and K-9 units.
Law enforcement apprehended one uninjured suspect after he left the woods and began walking southbound along State Route 232 near the town line with Milton.
Police arrested a second suspect on Cemetery Road.
The search continued for seven hours as officers collected evidence and interviewed witnesses. The investigation revealed suspected contraband, including firearms, illegal drugs, and cash, though no additional suspects were apprehended.
The Rumford Police Department warned that they believe three suspects remain at large. The suspects were described as Hispanic males in their 20s to 30s, wearing black sweatshirts, sweatpants of unknown color, and sneakers.
Police warned that the suspects may be armed with rifles and handguns, and believe that they do not “live in the community.” Investigators believe that there is no longer any risk to the Rumford area, and that the suspects likely fled the area, possibly with the help of additional accomplices.
The Maine Wire reached out to the Rumford Police Department for additional information, asking for the names and immigration statuses of the two arrested suspects and inquiring about any possible affiliations with transnational criminal organizations, but law enforcement did not immediately respond.
The incident initially sparked a shelter-in-place order for the area of South Rumford Road and Milton Road, urging residents to remain indoors with their homes locked. The initial shelter-in-place order only warned of two suspects, but an update then claimed that police were searching for four men.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The most recent statement confirmed that two suspects had been arrested, and three are believed to remain at large.
The Rumford incident was one of two shootings that sparked a shelter-in-place order on Friday, along with a Windham shooting in which one victim was killed before the suspect allegedly turned the gun on himself and ended his own life.
