A Fairfield man who earlier this year planned to challenge Susan Collins for her seat in the U.S. Senate has been charged with domestic violence for a second time.
Derek Levasseur, 45, was arrested Sunday on a Class D charge of domestic violence assault and taken to the Fairfield Police Station for processing, where he was later released on bail.
Derek Levasseur Fairfield Police Department
Levasseur made headlines in the summer of 2012 when he was a reserve officer for the Clinton Police Department and was arrested after getting into a physical altercation at his own wedding reception in Clinton. Levasseur was sentenced later that year at a Kennebec County court on two counts of assault in connection with the incident.
Earlier this year, Levasseur announced he was running for U.S. Senate as a Republican on a platform of “America First” policies, making him the first Republican to challenge Collins since she was elected in 1996. In September, after a five-month campaign, Levasseur quit the race, citing pressure from “party elites,” including former Gov. Paul LePage.
The latest criminal allegations surfaced at 11:23 p.m. Sunday, when officers from Fairfield and the Maine State Police were sent to a house on Ohio Hill Road in Fairfield after receiving reports of a “domestic situation” inside the residence, according to Fairfield Police Chief Tom Gould.
The victim received minor injuries but the police report does not indicate a need for medical attention, according to Gould. Police did not release additional details from the incident.
Levasseur is scheduled to appear at Maine District Court in Skowhegan at 1 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2020.
Attempts to reach Levasseur by phone and through Facebook for comment Thursday were not successful.
The 2012 incident occurred July 29 at a private residence on Railroad Street, leaving four people injured, including Levasseur’s daughter, who was a minor at the time.
Levasseur was later arrested and charged with domestic violence assault, furnishing liquor to a minor and five counts of assault, all class D charges. Levasseur was taken to the Fairfield Police Station and later released on $100 bail.
Levasseur was serving as a reserve officer for the Clinton Police Department at the time of his arrest. After being charged, he was placed on administrative leave, later giving up police work in 2013. On Oct. 10, 2012, Levasseur was sentenced on two counts of assault at a Kennebec County court.
He told the Bangor Daily News in March the 2012 incident occurred while he was “highly intoxicated,” and he responded “very poorly.” He also said he was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.
During his short-lived run for U.S. Senate, Levasseur said he received verbal warnings against pursuing his candidacy from LePage and others in the Maine Republican Party.
Levasseur raised more than $7,000 throughout grassroots effort, but he told the Sun Journal in September he could not ask supporters for more money once he realized “insiders” had the upper hand in the party.
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