RUMFORD – A Rumford man remained in protective custody Monday at a Rockport hospital after setting fire to his apartment Sunday night while attempting to commit suicide by police, Detective Lt. George T. Cayer said Monday afternoon at the Rumford police station.
The intoxicated 42-year-old man, who was armed with a large fixed-blade hunting knife, kept police at bay, but allowed tenants and firefighters to extinguish the fire in his second-floor apartment at 323 Cumberland St., Cayer stated in a Monday morning press release.
“He made several statements that he wanted the police to shoot him,” Cayer said.
“We were very thankful that this did not happen, and no one was seriously hurt. This man was a very lucky individual,” he added, declining to identify the man.
The drama began at 5:55 p.m. Sunday when police were alerted to a structure fire at the Cumberland Street address.
Arriving officers David Bean, Scott Mills and Lawrence Winson were met by several people in the street who were evacuating the three-story apartment complex.
From them, police learned that the man had set fire to his apartment, was armed with the knife and, at that time, refused to leave or let anyone in to extinguish the fire, Cayer said.
Cayer, who was off Sunday night, was called to the scene.
Bean established a dialogue with the man while attempting to draw him out, but, Cayer said, the man worked his way into the rear of the apartment and holed up in a bathroom.
That was when neighbors kicked in his door and nearly put the burning living room furniture out with fire extinguishers. That also created heavy smoke, which forced police to retreat, Cayer said.
Firefighters then fully extinguished the fire and cleared the room of enough smoke so police could communicate with the man.
The standoff continued for about 30 minutes. The man, worried about his cat, eventually put the knife down momentarily. That was the opening police sought.
“Due to his level of intoxication and his continued distractions because of concerns about his cat, we seized the opportunity to jump him and subdue him without incident,” Cayer said.
Mills and Winson suffered minor injuries while subduing the man, he added.
Cayer said the knife’s handle was about 5- to 6-inches long with about a 6- to 7-inch blade.
Rather than arrest the man, police took him into protective custody, admitting him at Rumford Hospital.
“I am extremely proud of our officers, who went the extra mile to make this matter come to a successful conclusion,” Cayer said.
The man was admitted to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport on Monday and is to be kept in protective custody because he is a danger to himself or others, police said.
The case is to be presented to the Oxford County grand jury in early April for an indictment on Class A felony arson and other charges, so the man can get help in the meantime, Cayer said.
“This incident could have been much worse, as this is a very old apartment complex that has several rented units,” Cayer added.
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