MAINE, USA — Police officers in three separate shootings dating from January 2021 to February of this year were deemed justified in their use of deadly force, according to reports released Wednesday from the Maine attorney general's office.
Sgt. David Levesque from the Lewiston Police Department was ruled justified in use of deadly force when he shot Kyle Edwards in January 2021, the attorney general ruled.
Edwards at the time was accused of stealing a truck and leading police on a high-speed chase before stopping and then attempting to escape again. Edwards survived the gunshot injury.
Sgt. James MacDonald and Cpl. Paul Casey of the Maine State Police have been ruled justified in the fatal shooting of Gregory Lasselle of Pittsfield.
The state medical examiner's office said Lasselle was shot in the head, neck, and chest back in February of this year. Lasselle died after a 12-hour standoff, and he was killed in the armed confrontation.
Less than a week later, Topsham police fatally shot Kourtney Sherwood of Brunswick.
Officers were called to an area near the Route 196 bridge between Topsham and Brunswick after they received a call suggesting that Sherwood was in distress and threatening to harm herself and others. During what police called an "armed confrontation," Topsham police Officer Matthew Bowers fired one shot that struck Sherwood, who later died at a hospital.
The attorney general's office said Bowers had reason to believe Sherwood was about to shoot at two other officers at the time.
The Maine attorney general’s office reviews every case involving police use of deadly force to determine if the officer was justified in their actions. The office has not once found an officer unjustified.