LEWISTON — A Poland man was ordered Tuesday to repay $1,000 to law enforcement agencies who responded to his home in November 2015 after he barricaded himself and held police at bay for five hours.
Eighth District Court Judge Susan Oram told Michael Winslow, 66, of 475 White Oak Hill Road, Poland, he must pay restitution of $200 to Maine State Police Troop B Barracks, $700 to Maine State Police Tactical Team and $100 to the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office.
Winslow admitted Tuesday that he created a police standoff at his home on Nov. 5, 2015, while armed or claiming to be armed for more than a half hour, which is a civil violation.
According to state law, a judge may impose restitution in such cases if the defendant has the ability to pay.
Winslow said he could repay the total within three months. The judge set the terms of the payment schedule.
Winslow eventually surrendered to Maine State Police after that department’s tactical team surrounded his home in mid-afternoon and coaxed him via loudspeaker to exit peacefully.
His wife, Sharon, had called 911 shortly before 10 a.m. When police arrived at the house, the situation quickly escalated.
Sharon Winslow was escorted by authorities to a secure vehicle nearby. She hadn’t required medical attention, authorities said.
Winslow was charged with domestic violence assault and domestic violence criminal threatening, both Class D misdemeanors and each punishable by up to 364 days in jail. An additional misdemeanor charge of violation of bail conditions carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
In court papers, Sharon Winslow had reported to a dispatcher that her husband had assaulted her by pushing her and trying to take her cellphone. He also was reportedly “destroying” their house, she told authorities.
She locked herself in a vehicle as she waited for law enforcement officers to arrive.
When Androscoggin County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, they “heard two muffled gunshots from the area of the residence,” according to court papers. Deputies were able to see Winslow in a second-floor window.
Winslow was free on bail on a deferred disposition stemming from an Oct. 15, 2014, charge of domestic violence terrorizing, which means he had been ordered to not violate the terms of that agreement, comply with its conditions and not run afoul of the law or the agreement could be rescinded.
In December 2015, Winslow pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic violence criminal threatening and other associated misdemeanor charges.
A judge imposed two consecutive sentences: the first, 180 days, with all but 60 days suspended plus six months of probation; the second, 180 days with none of that time suspended, plus six months of probation. Those two sentences were to be served one after another.
Winslow is a fully disabled Vietnam War veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, his attorney said at his arraignment.
cwilliams@sunjournal.com
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