PORTLAND — Police on Wednesday afternoon said an arrest was made after officers were threatened in a series of social media and email messages.
A tweet from police gave few details, but promised a press conference later in the afternoon would provide more information.
Police Chief Michael Sauschuck confirmed the threats Wednesday morning.
“This is the first time there have been pointed threats against police officers,” Sauschuck said at City Hall.
Sauschuck said he was alerted around 8:45 a.m. to threats of violence against officers that could include the use of automatic weapons and explosives.
“We received information from multiple entities from across the state, including other law enforcement agencies,” Sauschuck said, containing “direct and pointed threats against the Portland Police Department.”
While declining to talk about the complete nature of the threats and enhanced security measures the police may have taken, Sauschuck confirmed there was also a bomb threat made at the Cumberland County garage at 188 Newbury St.
The building was cleared and nothing was found, Sauschuck said, but he expected it to remain closed Wednesday afternoon.
One of the tweets threatening violence contained a Black Lives Matter hashtag, but Sauschuck said the messages were “relatively new” to the investigation. Federal law enforcement authorities were also alerted, he said.
“We have a lot of assets and resources allocated now,” Sauschuck said.
The threats came almost three weeks after 18 people were arrested during a July 15 demonstration in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
City leaders, including Mayor Ethan Strimling and City Manager Jon Jennings, praised Sauschuck and police for their response to the protest, where demonstrators closed a portion of Commercial Street for more than three hours. Those arrested were charged with obstructing a public way.
On Monday, three people asked city councilors to review police actions taken during the protest, saying people of color were initially targeted for arrest and other protesters were punched or had their arms twisted as arrests were made.
Sauschuck confined his comments Wednesday to the threats against police.
On Tuesday, Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said he is investigating the release of two booking photos of women arrested July 15 who were told to remove their hijabs before photos were taken.
Matthew Raymond, one of the speakers during the public comment portion of the city council meeting Monday, claimed the women were told the photos would not be released, and said their civil rights were violated. Raymond alleged police made the photos public because the hijab is worn as an expression of the Islamic faith.
Joyce said Tuesday he has not received a formal complaint about the photographs.
“I am going to try to find them and get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Someone just accidentally drove into the side of the Portland police department. pic.twitter.com/xt4Xj0LHcS
— David Charns (@DavidWMTW) August 3, 2016
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