Two Farmington officers honored for efforts to save a child

FARMINGTON — Two Farmington police officers were recently acknowledged by their peers for helping save a young child who had been abducted last summer.

Officers Darin Gilbert and Michael Lyman were honored during the 17th Annual Maine Association of Police Awards Banquet on Thursday in Portland, Police Chief Jack Peck said Tuesday in a release.

Last July, Jeremiah Grant of Berwick was accused of abducting his 1-year-old son from a residence in New Hampshire and leading police in Franklin County on a chase through a section of Farmington and the back roads of Strong and New Vineyard. Somersworth, N.H., police issued an amber alert for the missing child, who lives in Somersworth with his mother.

Gilbert spotted the car on Fairbanks Road/Route 4 and confirmed the child was in it, but Grant sped off toward Strong, Farmington Deputy Police Chief Shane Cote said in a release at the time of the incident. Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Zecher, Cpl. Nate Bean and Gilbert pursued the car, along with Maine State Police.

As the car headed into Strong, speeds approached 75 mph, Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said. The vehicle traveled the back roads of Strong before running over a spike mat set up by Farmington police on Route 27 in New Vineyard, police said.

The child was found safe, removed from the car and brought to the Farmington Police Department and reunited with his mother.