A Berwick man who police say shot another town resident to death in May acted in self-defense and will not be charged with a crime.
After a two-month investigation, the Office of the Maine Attorney General determined that Christopher Utt, 25, was defending himself when he shot Edward Badeau, 41, on May 13, Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said.
Badeau died of his wounds at Wentworth-Douglas Hospital in Dover, New Hampshire. Utt also was shot in the exchange of gunfire and was transferred to Portsmouth Medical Center to undergo surgery.
Until Tuesday, police had shared few details about the shootings at Utt’s home on School Street, where he runs a small cannabis farm.
Emergency call transcripts obtained by the Press Herald described the chaotic moments immediately after the shootings but did not provide information about who had fired and why.
One woman told dispatchers that a man had been shot in the head and another lay on the ground screaming. But the caller could not provide any additional details before getting off the phone to help the victims. It was unclear whether she had a connection to either man.
Another caller, who described himself as Utt’s roommate, told a dispatcher that he did not recognize two of the people in his home – possibly Badeau and the first caller.
“I just woke up and my roommate’s bleeding on the floor,” he said. “It’s bad.”
Moss said Tuesday that Badeau arrived at Utt’s home before 9 a.m. and shot a handgun into the air several times before forcing his way through the front door. As Badeau entered the house, the men fired at one other as Utt stood in the doorway to his bedroom.
It’s not clear how the men knew one another.
Investigators had to wait to interview Utt while he was treated for his injuries in the days after the shooting, Moss said. After investigating the incident for several weeks, officials determined that Utt had acted in self-defense and decided not to bring charges against him.
Utt is still recovering from his injuries, Moss said.
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