An armed confrontation in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, on Tuesday ended when 38-year-old Christopher Harriman was fatally shot by a Maine State Trooper in the parking lot of Landry's Shop N’ Save. Details from the Boston Globe and WGME reveal that the incident began after a woman's 911 call reported Harriman was threatening to commit suicide while armed with an AR-15 rifle.
The situation escalated shortly after 6:40 p.m. when police attempted to locate Harriman and the black Cadillac Escalade he was reported to be driving. The Maine State Police expressed that Harriman led officers on a slow speed pursuit after initially evading them at a rest stop on the Maine Turnpike. During the pursuit, he was said to have pointed the weapon out of the vehicle's window at officers.
Once Harriman was apprehended in the supermarket parking lot, negotiations ensued with officers attempting to persuade him to surrender. According to the Maine State Police statement provided to the Boston Globe, "Law enforcement tried to negotiate with Mr. Harriman and convince him to surrender as he stood outside his vehicle." However, the situation took a fatal turn when Harriman reportedly "reached in his vehicle, grabbed his rifle, and chambered a round."
Trooper Ryan Phillips subsequently shot and killed Harriman following this action. Maine State Police have confirmed that Phillips has been placed on administrative leave—a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings—while the Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey reviews the case to determine whether the use of deadly force was justified. WGME reports that the Office of the Attorney General is investigating the use of deadly force.
