Man charged with Presque Isle cruiser theft
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
The Presque Isle Police Department’s newest cruiser, a 2014 Dodge Charger, sustained heavy damage Friday when it was reportedly stolen while Officer Ryan Eagles was responding to a disorderly conduct complaint on the Mapleton Road.
Richard Lyman III, 20, of Presque Isle, subsequently got into an altercation with Eagles, throwing rocks at the officer, then fleeing in the officer’s cruiser. A high-speed chase by Maine State Police Trooper Matthew Casavant followed, with speeds reaching about 100 mph as Lyman and the trooper made their way from the Mapleton Road to the East Chapman Road. The chase ended when Lyman crashed the cruiser in the woods, a few miles beyond where the hot top ends.
According to a statement on the department’s Facebook page, PIPD Chief Matt Irwin stated this was not the first encounter between Lyman and Eagles. Irwin indicated Eagles had assisted Lyman last winter, providing him with a hot meal and ensuring the man was safe from the cold. Having dealt with him before, Irwin said Eagles was trying to again make contact with Lyman but that things went bad when Lyman picked up rocks and began throwing them at the officer.
Irwin stated he believed Eagles handled the situation well, given the circumstances. “It appears to me at this stage that Officer Eagles did what most of us would have hoped he had done, in that he recognized a special needs citizen and tried to be helpful,” wrote Irwin.
Eagles was unhurt as a result of the incident. Lyman sustained only minor injuries. Lyman was charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft, operating a motor vehicle without a license and two counts of aggravated criminal mischief. He was transported to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton until his first court appearance Tuesday.
Lyman made his initial appearance in Caribou Superior Court on Sept. 2. His bail was set at $5,000 cash.
The cruiser was towed Friday by Impact Auto of Presque Isle, with the auto repair shop working on an estimate Tuesday. Damage is estimated in the thousands of dollars. Attempts to reach the PIPD to determine whether the cruiser, which was acquired earlier this summer, will be repaired or replaced were unsuccessful at presstime.
