Auburn police and officers from the Maine State Police Crisis Negotiation Team defused a potentially deadly situation Sunday when they persuaded an elderly man described as suicidal to leave his home and peacefully surrender to authorities.
Francis Bruno, 83, was armed and threatening suicide when police arrived at 28 Chickadee Drive in Auburn around 11:15 a.m. Sunday, police said. His wife was in the house with him.
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Auburn Police Chief Phil Crowell told the Sun Journal newspaper that their response was prompted by a 911 call from Bruno, who Crowell said was looking for help because he was “distraught and had some health issues.”
The police chief said the man also expressed concerns about his ailing wife. Crowell told the Lewiston newspaper that the man and his wife were dealing with some physical as well as dementia issues.
Because a firearm was involved, several houses in the Chickadee Drive neighborhood were evacuated as a precaution. Neighbors said police knocked on their doors about 12:30 p.m., warning them to stay inside, away from the windows and preferably to move to the basement.
Matt Needham, who can see Chickadee Drive from his house at 28 West Waterman Road, said he noticed a police officer carrying a weapon when he drove by Chickadee Drive on his way home from breakfast.
“She was standing there with a machine gun and I thought, ‘Uh oh, that can’t be good’,” Needham said.
No shots were fired in the standoff, which ended shortly after 3 p.m. when Bruno emerged from the home without incident. Auburn police said Bruno was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston for an evaluation.
Auburn police said Bruno was summonsed for creating a police standoff. His wife, who was not identified, was unharmed and placed in the care of family members.
“There was a peaceful end to today’s standoff here in Auburn. We are thankful to the family, neighbors, and to the state police negotiating team who assisted us,” Auburn police said Sunday evening on the department’s Facebook page.
Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:
dhoey@pressherald.com
Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at:
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