POLAND — A man with a rifle who threatened to kill himself early Monday morning was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a leg injury after a police standoff, authorities said.
The man, who was not identified by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department, had reportedly been “highly intoxicated and in possession of a rifle,” according to a statement released by Chief Deputy William Gagne.
The man had posed a threat to himself and others, Gagne said.
The incident started shortly before 3 a.m. Monday when Poland Rescue was dispatched to the scene on Harris Hill Road for a report of a man with a possible broken leg.
When medical personnel arrived, they reported there was “some kind of disturbance occurring” at the home. They summoned law enforcement.
An officer from Mechanic Falls Police Department arrived at the scene and evacuated others from the home and shepherded them to a safe location, Gagne said.
County deputies and an Auburn Police officer converged on the home. The Maine State Police Tactical Team and crisis negotiators also responded to the scene.
Officers made contact with the man who eventually surrendered peacefully, Gagne said.
The man was expected to undergo a mental health evaluation at the hospital where his leg injury was treated.
No charges were filed against the man, but the case remains under investigation. Reports of the incident will be turned over to the Androscoggin County District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.
Harris Hill Road was closed to traffic between Hackett Mills Road and Everett Road for roughly three hours, then reopened later in the morning.
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