Portland police arrested a 27-year-old Portland man and charged him in connection with a stabbing that wounded another man during a concert at the State Theatre on Sunday night.
Joseph Lewis was taken into custody about 6:30 p.m. Monday and is charged with one count of elevated aggravated assault.
Lewis is expected to make his first appearance Wednesday in Portland Unified Criminal Court.
The victim, a 29-year-old man from Norway, is expected to survive. He suffered at least one puncture wound in the attack, police said.
Police did not describe what led to the confrontation, but said the investigation is continuing and that detectives are working with witnesses and security staff from the venue.
Lewis has no criminal history in Maine, according to the State Bureau of Identification, which controls criminal history information statewide.
Police declined to answer questions about whether the victim and Lewis knew each other, or what object or weapon was used to injure the man.
Police were initially called to the State Theatre shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday, and met with the victim in the lobby.
Portland police Cmdr. James Sweatt said Monday that theater staff made the decision to end the show early, prompting the evacuation of about 1,800 people. Police interviewed patrons who matched the attacker’s description as they left the venue.
Sweatt said everyone was cooperative, including theater staff.
The all-ages show featuring Dirty Heads with Jukebox the Ghost and Just Loud was nearly sold out, the State Theatre said in a Facebook post.
Lauren Wayne, general manager at the State Theatre, said it is still not clear what type of weapon was used in the attack. She said that, like all events at the venue, everyone permitted inside was subject to a bag search and metal detector wands by security staff.
“Again, the police are handling this,” Wayne said. “I can’t comment what the weapon was, if there was a weapon.”
She said the State Theatre has not had any incidents involving a weapon in the eight years that the venue has been open.
Joseph Lewis
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