Trooper responding to domestic-violence call shoots man dead

WALES, Maine (AP) — A state trooper responding to a domestic-violence call fatally shot a man after an hours-long standoff, authorities said Monday.

Police negotiators and tactical-team members responded to a home in Wales on Sunday night regarding domestic violence in which someone fired a gunshot at a woman, state Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said. Trooper James MacDonald shot and killed 54-year-old William Derick in an armed confrontation, he said.

The woman was unhurt and was not publicly identified by police.

Police tried to make contact with Derick for several hours, McCausland said. At about 3:30 a.m. Monday, Derick was shot by MacDonald, a member of the tactical team, McCausland said. No police officers were injured.

Derick lived in a mobile home in Wales, just east of Sabattus Pond. Wales, a town of about 1,600 residents, is located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Portland, the state’s largest city. The shooting took place at Derick’s trailer.

The trailer is located on property owned by Derick’s mother, who lived across the street, neighbors said. Police cars lined the road outside the home on Monday.

Neighbor Karen Johnson, who lives two doors down, said there was a large police presence on her street Sunday night and police could be heard trying to communicate with a loudspeaker. She said she eventually went to sleep and awoke to the news of the fatal shooting.

“It’s really sad. This is a quiet little town. It’s really a big thing for something like this to happen,” said Johnson, who’s lived in her home for 42 years.

The Maine attorney general’s office is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure for a shooting involving a state trooper.

MacDonald, a seven-year member of the Maine State Troopers, has been placed on administrative leave with pay during the review of the shooting, which also is standard procedure, McCausland said.

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