BELFAST, Maine — A sergeant with the Waldo County Sheriff's Office has been placed on administrative leave after fatally shooting a 65-year-old Belfast man during an incident Monday afternoon.
Just before 1:30 p.m., the Waldo County Dispatch Center received a call from 65-year-old Daniel Ryan from his residence on Cedar Street, where he said he was "going to burn his apartment building down if law enforcement did not respond," according to a joint news release from the Waldo County Sheriff's Office and Belfast Police Department.
Waldo County Sheriff's Office deputies and Belfast police officers responded to the residence, where Ryan reportedly continued threats to burn down the building. When law enforcement entered the building, Ryan "charged the officers with a gas can that was on fire," the release stated.
Ryan was fatally shot by Waldo County Sheriff's Sgt. Nicholas Oettinger, according to the release. Oettinger will be placed on administrative leave while the Office of the Maine Attorney General investigates, which is standard practice.
Pearl Street was closed in the area of Cedar Street for several hours Monday afternoon while law enforcement responded.
NEWS CENTER Maine had a crew at the scene who observed Maine State Police and a Maine State Police Evidence Response Team vehicle in addition to Waldo County and Belfast law enforcement.
