The Kennebec County district attorney has declined to prosecute a Winthrop man who was arrested two weeks ago on charges of domestic violence assault and assault, because the man was reportedly suffering a mental health crisis at the time.

The man, 21-year-old Alexander Brochu, was arrested Feb. 15 at a Turkey Lane home after he allegedly pulled his girlfriend’s hair, pushed her mother and spat on a police officer, Winthrop police said last week.

Police had probable cause to arrest Brochu on those charges and “acted exemplary in this very difficult situation,” District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said in an email. She said she declined to prosecute Brochu at the request of the people identified as victims.

“I usually go forward even when the victims do not want the case to proceed because when a crime is committed, it is a crime against the state,” Maloney wrote. “I also know that sometimes victims ask for cases to not go forward out of fear of the defendant rather than a genuine wish for charges to be declined.”

However, Maloney continued, “This case was different. By all accounts, Mr. Brochu was in the midst of a mental health crisis. … Mr. Brochu has no criminal history and it is my hope that with treatment this conduct will not reoccur.”

Brochu originally had been scheduled for an initial appearance last week at the Capital Judicial Center.

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No one was injured during the alleged assaults. Brochu later stopped at the Winthrop police station and apologized to Officer Paul Ferland, the officer he spat on, Ferland said last week.

Charles Eichacker — 621-5642

ceichacker@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @ceichacker


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