WATERVILLE — Authorities said Wednesday morning that an armed police response and standoff off College Avenue, sparked by reports of gunfire, had been “resolved” and that additional details would be released later in the day.
Police from many departments responded Tuesday afternoon to reports of gunfire in an area along College Avenue, ultimately trying to reach someone barricaded in a vacant house.
Authorities converged between Hazelwood Avenue and Highwood Street. As part of their response, officers cordoned off a large area near a vacant house on College Avenue, where gunshots had reportedly been heard.
At about 9 p.m., police began using a loudspeaker to communicate with a person who was barricaded inside the vacant house near 150 College Ave. Negotiators from the Maine State Police Tuesday night had encouraged the person to come out of the house, saying they wanted to make sure no one had been injured by any gunfire earlier in the day.
In a post on its Facebook page around 5 a.m. Wednesday, the Waterville Police Department said “the situation on College Ave and Highwood Street in Waterville has been resolved and the area is open for traffic,” without further explanation.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the case were still being investigated and Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey planned to hold a press conference at 1 p.m.
“In the meantime, the Waterville Police Department would like to thank the Maine State Police, Fairfield, Oakland, Winslow and Clinton Police Departments, the Portland Police Department, US Department of Homeland Security, Waterville Fire and Rescue, and Delta Ambulance for all of their assistance during this matter,” the department’s post said. “This was a true team effort to keep the community as safe as possible in a difficult situation.”
Many officers responded to 911 calls at about 4:15 p.m. that reported a shooter at 50 College Ave., according to Chief Joseph Massey of the Waterville Police Department. When police arrived, they found no one.
Police extended their search to near 150 College Ave., where gunshots were heard coming from the vacant house. Police said they did not know why shots might have been fired and they also knew of no injuries that resulted from any gunfire, according to Massey.
The large police presence Tuesday afternoon included officers from Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, Clinton, Oakland and the State Police. An agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who happened to be in the area, also stopped to offer assistance.
Clinton officers were directing traffic away from Hazelwood Avenue and onto Greenwood Avenue.
Three ambulances were seen on College Avenue, between the Hazelwood Avenue intersection and the Dairy Queen.
Just before 6 p.m., a van carrying State Police negotiators was seen heading toward officers who had gathered on Hazelwood Avenue. The van parked in front of American Glass Co. at 153 College Ave.
Officials at Mount Saint Joseph Residence & Rehabilitation at 7 Highwood St. reported the facility had been placed on lockdown. And at about 6:15 p.m., residents of the Home Place Inn at 150 College Ave. were being removed from the facility.
“We would also like to thank the residents of Home Place and the Mt. St. Joseph’s Nursing home for their patience and cooperation during this event,” the police department said on Facebook. “We understand this was a very trying situation for all.”
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