NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine (AP) — The Latest on the fatal shooting of a Maine sheriff’s deputy (all times local):
5:15 p.m.
The FBI is offering $20,000 for information leading to the arrest of a man sought in the killing of a Maine deputy.
Officials announced the reward Thursday as more than 175 officers continued to search for 29-year-old John Williams in and around the heavily wooded rural community of Norridgewock, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Bangor.
The death of Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole on Wednesday is the first killing of a law enforcement officer in Maine in nearly 30 years.
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said investigators believe Williams is still in the area.
He said a heavy police presence will remain overnight and that aircraft grounded by bad weather will rejoin the search.
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9:20 a.m.
A Maine county sheriff is imploring a man sought in the killing of a deputy to turn himself in.
The fatal shooting of Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole on Wednesday in Norridgewock has triggered an intensive search for 29-year-old John Williams in and around the heavily wooded rural community about 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Bangor. It’s believed to be the first killing of a law enforcement officer in Maine in nearly 30 years.
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said at a news conference Thursday they have some belief that Williams is still in the area. He said officers have been assigned to area schools.
Lancaster said 175 to 200 officers from multiple agencies have been working on the case.
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12:26 a.m.
A manhunt is underway for the suspect in what is believed to be the first killing of a law enforcement officer in Maine in nearly 30 years.
The fatal shooting of Somerset County Cpl. Eugene Cole on Wednesday in Norridgewock triggered an intensive search for 29-year-old John Williams in and around the heavily wooded rural community about 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Bangor.
Officials say the Madison man was scheduled to appear in court to face gun charges when he killed the sheriff’s deputy, stole his cruiser and robbed a convenience store.
The Maine Department of Public Safety says the last time someone killed an officer in the line of duty was in 1989.
Law enforcement officials say Williams has arrest records in Maine, Tennessee and Massachusetts.
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