MAINE, USA — The cause of death has been released for a woman who was involved in an armed confrontation with police on the Topsham Bypass.
Kourtney Sherwood's death was listed as a gunshot wound to the head and homicide, according to Lindsey Chasteen, office administrator for the Maine chief medical examiner's office.
On Feb. 28, officers responded to the area of the Merrymeeting Bridge after the department received a call about a woman reportedly threatening to harm herself or others. When police arrived at the scene, they found Brunswick resident Sherwood, 37, in her vehicle that was parked on the side of the road.
The Topsham Police Department, Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office and Maine State Police all responded to the scene.
The Office of the Maine Attorney General released a 2-minute clip of dashcam footage that showed the events leading up to the fatal shot.
"The video released is the only one that qualifies as 'video depicting the use of deadly force' and, thus, the only one publicly available," Nicole Sacre of the Maine Attorney General's office told NEWS CENTER Maine in an email.
In the video, several attempts made to communicate with Sherwood, who was alone in the vehicle.
"You're not in any trouble. We just want to get you some help, Kourtney," Deputy Sheriff Steven Thibeault is heard saying.
Seconds later, the window of the truck Sherwood is in rolls down, and a handgun appears, pointing back toward the cruiser.
Sherwood appears to pull the trigger, and a single shot is heard.
The AG's Office said the audible shot was the one fired by Topsham police Officer Matthew Bowers at Sherwood.
The officer who fired the shot, Topsham Police Officer Matthew Bowers, was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the incident by the Maine attorney general's office, Topsham Police Chief Marc Hagan said in a news release. Bowers has been with the department since 2017.
After the shooting, Sherwood was brought to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick and later to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she later died.
The Maine attorney general's office is conducting an investigation of the incident.
If you or someone you love needs help, call the Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112.