Editor’s Note: An arrest or summons does not constitute a finding of guilt. An individual charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at criminal proceedings.
The Maine State Police Troop F barracks in Houlton responded to 142 calls for service from Monday, July 25 to Sunday, July 31. The following incidents were among those addressed:
Tuesday, July 26
– Utilizing his unmarked cruiser, Cpl. Michaud cited three drivers for distracted driving; two of the motorists were texting while driving. Cpl. Michaud followed the third driver for some time observing his poor operation. The operator would come to a near complete stop in traffic and then speed up again; all while holding his cell phone in front of himself. He then stopped at a stop sign and stayed at the stop sign for an extended period of time while no traffic was forcing him to yield. The operator was still staring at his cell phone. Cpl. Michaud activated his emergency lights, and walked up to the operator’s window. The operator was so distracted that he never saw Cpl. Michaud or his blue lights and started to pull away; all the while still looking at his phone. Cpl. Michaud shouted to the operator who then stopped. He admitted to playing Pokemon Go and it appeared that each time he was stopping in traffic he was collecting game tokens in that location. ours while the wreckage was removed and new utility poles placed.
Friday, July 29
– Tpr. Bell investigated the report of a missing 14-year-old male. The young man was supposed to walk to a relative’s house, but hadn’t arrived and it was 1 a.m. Leads, names, and phone numbers were quickly investigated and information obtained led to the discovery of the male at approximately 2:30 a.m. as he was walking in Houlton to his aunt’s house. The male admitted that he was playing Pokemon and lost track of time.
– Sgt. Clark and Tpr. Luce responded to a residence in New Sweden after a nurse from Visiting Nurses of Aroostook stated she had not been able to make contact with one of her clients, which she felt was concerning. Trp. Luce called the man on the phone but no one answered. Tpr. Luce went to the man’s residence and when no one answered the door. Sgt. Clark arrived at the residence and it was determined the troopers needed to make entry into the residence. After getting inside the house they discovered the homeowner was in bed and immediately requested to be taken to the hospital. An ambulance was called and the man was transported to Cary Medical Center in Caribou.
