Sheriff denies that officers responding to Maine mass shooting had been drinking

PORTLAND, Maine — A sheriff is refuting accusations that some of his officers arrived at a mass shooting reeking of alcohol, saying in a statement that all officers were on duty or had just completed training before Lewiston police requested their help.

Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said in a statement Wednesday that he “wholeheartedly” denies all allegations in a Portland Police after-action report that suggested his officers had been drinking, left a funeral and shot themselves without a warrant sent away.

Joyce said it’s unfortunate he had to defend himself against “baseless allegations” that arose after the deadliest mass shooting in state history as officers from across the state headed to Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023. After dark, a Cumberland County tactical vehicle nearly crashed into a Portland vehicle near where the gunman’s vehicle was discovered after 18 people were killed at two locations.

Joyce said the driver of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected Cumberland County vehicle was a police officer who had been on duty in his community before reporting to the scene.

The leader of Portland’s special response team wrote that he spoke to the occupants of the vehicle from Cumberland County and smelled “intoxicants.” He reported that they said they were coming from a funeral and replied “we don’t know” when asked who sent them to the scene. A Portland police spokesman said Thursday he had no further comment on the report.

Joyce said in his statement that until the Portland report surfaced six months after the shooting, he was never made aware of possible misconduct while at the police command post on Oct. 25 or in the weeks that followed.

“I am confident that our members responded to the mass casualty event in Lewiston in a level-headed and professional manner. I am proud of my staff for their actions and response on that fateful day,” the sheriff said.