TURNER — A standoff that lasted more than 14 hours ended early this morning.
John Hunnewell, 67, was taken into custody and charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, according to the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to the hospital after he was apprehended around 2 a.m.
The standoff between the lone man and police started shortly before noon Monday after police received reports that Hunnewell had been threatening another person with a shotgun, according to the sheriff’s office.
The incident took place at a trailer rented by the man that is about 100 yards down a wooded road, according to witnesses at the scene. The residence is on property surrounding Richardson’s Station, a garage on Route 4.
The unidentified man was in his home when the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department was notified of an altercation he had with another man, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
McCausland said there were no hostages, although the man was believed to be armed.
Police had the scene taped off for most of the day Monday and several uniformed officers remained at the scene for most of the day and well into the night.
A state police tactical unit arrived at the scene around 1 p.m. By 6 p.m. there were more than 20 state police and sheriff deputies’ vehicles on the site, including the special services van, state and county K-9 units and Turner Rescue with an ambulance.
Later in the evening, a Turner firetruck that had been waiting a safe distance up Route 4 was also moved to the scene.
Two men at the scene said they knew the man who was keeping police at bay. One of the two men said his father was friends with the man and offered to go in and try to talk to him, but was denied by authorities.
“He’s just scared. He ain’t gonna come out,” one of the men said. “He’ll hold them off all night.”
But McCausland said authorities were handling the situation by the book and typically in situations such as a standoff, only a trained negotiator speaks with the person involved.
Hunnewell was transported to the hospital for a medical condition that is believed to be unrelated to the incident. He is being held by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department.
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- An unidentified man, left, waits for news on the status of a standoff at Richardson Station on Route 4 in Turner on Monday evening. The standoff ended early Tuesday.
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