Deadly Force Events (Last 10 years)

Listed below are all incidents involving the application of deadly force, such as officer-involved shootings, by Portland Police officers in the past 10 years.

All use of force incidents, both deadly and non-deadly, are investigated and reviewed by the department in order to assure compliance with agency policy and guidelines, and determine the need for improvement in such areas as equipment, training or policy guidance.

All deadly force incidents are additionally investigated independently by the Maine Attorney General's Office. The purpose of that investigation is to determine if the involved officer was legally justified in the use of force and whether the legal justifications, such as self-defense and/or the defense of others, precludes a criminal prosecution of the officer.

Based upon the law related to force reviews, it must be determined that the force used was objectively reasonable based upon the totality of the particular circumstances and judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene. This allows for the fact that police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the amount of force necessary in a given situation. This requires careful attention to the facts and circumstances of each case, including the severity of the crime threatened or committed and whether the suspect poses a threat to the safety of the officer(s) or others.

Additional information may be available on the Maine Attorney General's website by clicking HERE.

Frank Clark, Portland Police Chief