No charges filed yet against man who allegedly wounded Waterville police officer
The Harmony man who allegedly shot at police and wounded a Waterville officer during a multi-town pursuit remains hospitalized with injuries, but a Maine State Police spokesman said Monday morning that no charges have been filed against him.
Richard Murray-Burns, 29, was wounded after eight officers reportedly fired back at him during the shootout. The spokesman, Stephen McCausland, said he would not speculate on whether there would be criminal charges filed against Murray-Burns.
“We’re monitoring his condition,” he said.
A spokesperson at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor would not list Murray-Burns’ condition or confirm if he is a patient there, but McCausland said he is.
Waterville police Officer Timothy Hinton was treated and released Sunday afternoon from MaineGeneral Medical Center in Waterville after being shot in both arms during the exchange. Sunday’s shootout began after Hinton stopped a car along Route 201 in response to a shoplifting complaint from the Waterville Walmart. Hinton was allegedly shot while he was in his cruiser and he began pursuing the gunman’s car as it fled the scene.
Police say that Murray-Burns was in the car and armed with an assault-style weapon.
Officers from other agencies joined the chase, which continued along Route 201 and Route 23 before ending on Route 2 in Canaan, where officers shot and wounded Murray-Burns.
The Maine attorney general’s office is investigating the incident, as is standard procedure in police-involved shootings. The eight police officers who shot at Murray-Burns have been placed on administrative leave with pay, as is standard procedure.
Other officers involved in the incident are Maine State Police Troopers Garret Booth, Eric Sucy, Rick Moody, Daniel Murray; fire marshal’s office investigator Ken MacMaster; Somerset County sheriff’s Deputy Stephen Arminger; and Winslow police Officer Cameron Huggins.
Several police cruisers were struck by gunfire during the chase and a few were disabled, according to McCausland.
A criminal records search for Murray-Burns turned up no charges or convictions in Maine.