Dexter man arrested after intentionally hitting pair of police vehicles

DOVER-FOXCROFT — On May 16 Dover-Foxcroft Police Department officers were called to investigate a suspicious person, associated with a domestic case of harassment and stalking. The suspect Edward Crooks, 40, of Dexter, was suspected of continued harassment of a female victim. Officers were seeking to make contact with Crooks who was believed to be intoxicated at the time and driving a silver or tan colored Chevy Trailblazer.

Shortly before 10 p.m. Officer Stephen Garib located Crooks at the intersection of Summer Street and North Street where Garib attempted to stop the Chevy Trailblazer. Crooks pulled to the left side of North Street at the West Main Street intersection. Garib attempted to affect the traffic stop at which point the vehicle fled the scene. Garib then followed the vehicle up West Main Street toward Guilford — the vehicle was traveling at approximately 60 mph. Deputy Kyle Wilson of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office was on West Main Street traveling inbound toward Garib.

Crooks turned into a parking lot attempting to flee the officer. He traveled through the parking lot and then back toward West Main Street using a side street. Crooks turned off the side street and into the path of Wilson. Crooks continued striking the front of Wilson’s cruiser, and putting his vehicle into reverse and ramming the front of Garib’s cruiser as Garib remained inside. Crooks then rolled forward and attempted to back up into Garib’s vehicle. Garib drove forward and pinned Crook’s vehicle against Wilson’s cruiser.

Crooks resisted arrest and refused to get out of his vehicle. He was subdued in part with the use of a taser device.

Wilson received minor injuries due to the impact of the crash and the deployment of airbags within the vehicle. Both Crooks and Wilson received medical treatment. Crooks was taken to the Piscataquis County Jail in Dover-Foxcroft and he faces numerous charges to include OUI and others related to the crash. There are also charges associated with the previous case that include harassment and receiving stolen property. There are expected to be more charges to come.

Maine State Police handled the crash which involved damage to both police vehicles.

Photo courtesy of Dover-Foxcroft Police Department
ARREST FOLLOWING INTENTIONALLY RAMMING POLICE VEHICLES — A Dexter man was arrested on the evening of May 16 on West Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft after intentionally ramming his Chevy Trailblazer into a Dover-Foxcroft Police Department and a Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office vehicle. Edward Crooks, 40, who was believed to be intoxicated at the time of the incident, had his vehicle pinned between the cruisers and he was subdued in part with the use of a taser device before being taken to the Piscataquis County Jail where he faces OUI and crash-related charges.