FRYEBURG — A 29-year-old Fryeburg resident is out on $1,500 bail following what police are calling a “brutal” attack on a local woman.

In a statement released Saturday, Acting Police Chief Joshua Potvin said Fryeburg police officers arrested Nathan Smith on a charge of domestic violence assault shortly after midnight on Thursday, May 15, after a two-day search for Smith following an incident that occurred on Smith Street.

Smith was located at a friend’s house and was taken into custody without incident following what officers describe as a brutal attack on the 27-year-old female victim, who was taken to Bridgton Hospital for her injuries and has since been released.

“Fryeburg police practice zero tolerance for domestic abuse, and we take every domestic violence incident very seriously,” Potvin said.

Smith was taken to the Oxford County Jail in Paris and charged with felony domestic violence assault based on previous convictions and violating his conditions of release for previous reckless conduct and domestic violence assault charges.

“We have seen an increase in domestic violence crimes lately. It is our top priority to not only bring the offenders to justice, but also to insure that the victims of these cases receive the proper guidance, crisis counseling, emotional support and victims advocacy resources immediately following a domestic-related incident,” Potvin said in the statement. “Our officers are trained to use a process which evaluates and determines who the predominant physical aggressor is in a domestic violence situation. They are then mandated to hold the offender accountable.”

Potvin asked that any Fryeburg residents aware of domestic violence situations call either the Fryeburg Police Station at 207-935-3323 or the Maine Department of Health and Human Services hotline at 866-834-4357 to report the incident.

The Fryeburg Police Department will be holding a special scenario-based domestic violence training in June for its officers, he said.

“It’s my job to ensure that my officers have the proper tools and training to do their job in the safest manner possible,” Potvin said.“Police officers risk their lives every day, and domestic-violence-related calls can be especially dangerous. These types of calls often involve highly emotional victims and suspects, and many times involve children, pets, drugs, alcohol and weapons.”


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