PITTSFIELD, Maine — Editor's note: Upper left-Clarence Rider, lower left-Stephanie Freeman, upper right-Arlene Rider, lower right-Casey Rider (Blurry photos due to photo size of mug shots made available.)
A series of events on Sunday in the towns of Canaan and Pittsfield included a motorcycle crash, a police chase, later the physical assault of officers plus a wrecker driver by four people, and finally the arrest of those four people.
On May 10th, around 4:30 p.m. the Somerset County Sheriff's Office reports they responded to a single motorcycle crash with possible trauma on Hill Road in Canaan.
Deputy Stephen Armiger responded to the scene, but it was then reported by the Canaan Fire Department the biker and a passenger had gotten back on the motorcycle and fled the scene.
Deputy Armiger located the fleeing motorcycle on Route 2, attempted to pull over the bike by signaling with the emergency blue lights, but the biker accelerated, passing other vehicles, according to police.
It's reported the motorcycle reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.
The shift supervisor, Corporal Matthew Cunningham, halted the pursuit of the motorcycle. Deputy Armiger obliged and turned off his lights, but noticed the bike turn down Wilson Road in Pittsfield, which he knew is a dead-end road.
Police say the deputy followed the bike and saw the biker push their passenger off the motorcycle. The motorcycle driver then accelerated again through a cornfield, around the Deputy Armiger’s cruiser, and back down the roadway. The deputy stopped to check the well-being of the passenger.
At this point, police say Deputy Armiger was able to identify the operator as Clarence Rider III, 41, of Canaan.
Following those events, deputies from the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, Pittsfield Police Department, and Maine State Police later met up on Livingston Street in Pittsfield. This is where the home of Clarence Rider III is located. Police say they noticed the motorcycle was in plain view in front of the home.
Deputies advised family members at the home that the motorcycle was to be towed and impounded. Deputies say they did not make contact with Clarence Rider III.
While waiting for the wrecker to arrive, family members became verbally belligerent, according to police.
Clarence Rider Jr., 63, of Exeter, arrived with a handgun in his waistband. Police say he attempted to take possession of the motorcycle. Deputies ordered Rider Jr. to stand back, but he refused.
Police then began arresting Rider Jr. Family members attempted to intervene, and the incident became physical.
Police say deputies and the wrecker driver were assaulted while attempting to load the motorcycle onto the wrecker.
Deputies then arrested Casey Rider, 36, of Pittsfield, Arlene Rider, 62, of Exeter, and Stephanie Freeman, 31, of Skowhegan, for obstruction of governmental administration. The four were brought to the Somerset County Jail in Skowhegan.
The four paid bail and have an initial court date set for September 9th, 2020, in the Skowhegan Unified Court.
The cases will be reviewed by the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office for additional charges.
The Somerset County Sheriff's Office is working to secure an arrest warrant for Clarence Rider III, for his involvement in the police chase.
Anyone with information concerning Rider III is asked to call the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office at (207) 474-9591.
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