A man shot multiple times by law enforcement officials Dec. 22 in Canaan after he allegedly shot a police officer was arrested Wednesday and charged with aggravated attempted murder while being released from a Bangor hospital, according to police.
Richard Murray-Burns, 29, of Hartland, was charged with aggravated attempted murder as he was leaving Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and was taken to the Somerset County Jail in East Madison, Steve McCausland, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, said Wednesday in a press release.
Richard Murray-Burns Photo courtesy of Somerset County Jail
Waterville police Officer Timothy Hinton was shot in both arms just over the town line in Fairfield, according to McCausland.
Murray-Burns “was released from the hospital early this afternoon and arrested by State Police detectives who transported him to the jail,” the release says.” The arrest was made following consultation with the district attorney’s office and Murray-Burns will likely make his first court appearance either Thursday or Friday.”
A jail spokeswoman said Wednesday that there is no bail for Murray-Burns.
Murray-Burns allegedly shot Hinton during a Dec. 22 traffic stop on Main Street just over the line between Waterville and Fairfield, and led police on a chase to Canaan.
Hinton continues to recover at home as Maine State Police, the Attorney General’s Office and Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office investigate the case, Waterville Deputy police Chief Bill Bonney said Tuesday. The Waterville Police Department also is conducting an internal investigation which is protocol when deadly force is used. Bonney said Hinton is strong, both physically and emotionally, and is “recovering well.”
Hinton responded to a Dec. 22 report of a shoplifter at Walmart in Waterville and stopped a vehicle on Main Street when he was shot in both arms while still in his cruiser, police said at the time. A chase ensued and the suspect, Murray-Burns, was shot multiple times near the intersection of Routes 2 and 23 by law enforcement officials from several agencies who had joined the pursuit. They and Hinton are on administrative leave with pay, per deadly force policy.
District Attorney Maeghan Maloney was on vacation and did not return a cell phone call Tuesday, but McCausland’s release says that office was consulted before Murray-Burns was arrested Wednesday.
After Hinton was shot during the traffic stop, he continued to pursue Murray-Burns’ vehicle, which turned onto Ohio Hill Road, also known as Route 23, in Fairfield Center, and then turned north on U.S. Route 201 in the Hinckley area of Fairfield.
The chase continued on U.S. Route 201 to the Hinckley Bridge, which crosses the Kennebec River to Route 23 in Clinton, and continued on Route 23 into Canaan, ending at the intersection of Routes 23 and 2 in that town. Murray-Burns was then shot by law enforcement officers.
At the time, McCausland identified seven officials who fired at Murray-Burns, who he said was armed with an assault-style weapon. Several cruisers were struck by gunfire from that weapon, he said.
The officials were state troopers Eric Sucy, Rick Moody, Daniel Murray and Garret Booth; investigator Ken MacMaster of the Office of State Fire Marshal; Somerset County Sheriff’s Deputy Stephen Arminger; and Winslow police Officer Cameron Huggins.
Hinton was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Thayer Center for Health in Waterville where he was treated for his gunshot wounds and released about 4:30 p.m. Dec. 22. Murray-Burns was taken to Thayer and later flown by LifeFlight helicopter to a Bangor hospital where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds.
This story has been updated with Richard Murray-Burns’ correct town of residence: Hartland. It was a source error.
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