SKOWHEGAN, Maine — A Hartland man has been indicted on 17 felony counts including more than a dozen counts of attempted murder in connection with the December 2019 shooting of a Waterville police officer as he sat in his cruiser, and a subsequent shootout in Canaan.
Richard J. Murray-Burns, 30, was indicted by a grand jury on 19 separate counts including 13 counts of Class A felony aggravated attempted murder and two counts of Class B felony aggravated assault.
State police said at the time that Waterville Police Officer Timothy Hinton stopped a car on Route 201 in Waterville following a shoplifting complaint from Wal-Mart early in the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019.
Murray-Burns allegedly fired upon Hinton with an "assault-style weapon" while Hinton was in his cruiser, and then fled. Hinton, who was wounded, began to pursue the car, and was joined by officers from several law enforcement agencies.
The chase along routes 201 and 23 in Kennebec and Somerset counties ended on Route 2 in Canaan, where Murray-Burns allegedly shot at the other officers, striking vehicles. The officers returned fire and wounded Murray-Burns.
Hinton was shot in both arms. He was treated at MaineGeneral Hospital in Waterville and released later that day, police said.
Murray-Burns was treated at Northern Lights Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and two state police detectives arrested him as he was released.
He is also charged with the attempted murder of law enforcement officers Stephen Armiger, Garret Booth, Cameron J. Huggins, Kenneth MacMaster, Rick L. Moody, Daniel M. Murray, Eric S. Sucy, Jason Voter and Racean Wood, according to the indictment.
Murray-Burns was also indicted on other felony and misdemeanor counts including robbery and reckless conduct with a firearm.
He's being held at Somerset County Jail on $1 million cash bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Somerset County Superior Court on March 19.
District Attorney Maegan Maloney, who prosecutes in both counties, said Monday that a regional grand jury made up of jurors from both counties was convened to hear the entire case.
