PORTLAND — A devastating scene unfolded early Thursday as a family tragedy culminated in a police-involved shooting on the Piscataqua River Bridge, which connects Maine and New Hampshire.
The situation began with a distressing 911 call from a man claiming he had been involved in a violent altercation with his wife in Troy, New Hampshire, and that she was dead.
“The initial call came from a male reporting a fight with his wife in Troy, New Hampshire, during which he claimed she had died,” stated Maine State Police Commander Colonel Bill Ross.
Upon receiving the call, New Hampshire State Police responded to the home in Troy and discovered the man’s wife deceased.
Later, at approximately 2:30 a.m., law enforcement tracked the suspect’s phone to Kittery, Maine, and located him on the Piscataqua River Bridge in the southbound lane of I-95.
“Both New Hampshire and Maine law enforcement agencies engaged with the suspect, attempting to negotiate a peaceful resolution,” Ross explained. “To ensure public safety, the bridge was closed off.”
Despite efforts to persuade the suspect to surrender, negotiations failed. The situation escalated when the suspect exited his vehicle and brandished a firearm.
In response, a Maine state trooper and two New Hampshire state troopers fired on the suspect, who then fell 135 feet into the river below. The Coast Guard later recovered his body.
Amidst the aftermath, authorities discovered another tragic victim, the suspect’s 8-year-old son, fatally shot in the back seat of the vehicle.
“The child’s death, found in the vehicle, is not related to the police shooting,” Ross confirmed.
Names of the victims and the suspect are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.