BATH, Maine (AP) — Two law enforcement officers who were allies when they faced tough questions about their interactions with an Army reservist who last year killed 18 people in Maine’s deadliest shooting are squaring off to become sheriff.
Neither four-term Democratic incumbent Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry, nor his Republican rival, patrol Sgt. Aaron Skolfield, want their career to be defined by the mass shooting that also injured 13 others. But it’s impossible to escape their connection on the verge of a grim one-year anniversary that will be marked less than two weeks ahead of Election Day.
For his part, Skolfield was criticized by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills' independent commission — and by the governor herself — for failing to use Maine’s so-called yellow flag law to take Robert Card into protective custody in the midst of a spiraling mental health crisis, and start the process of removing his access to guns.
Skolfield said his hands were tied during the welfare check because Card refused to answer the door: The law required a face-to-face interaction, and Skolfield said it would've been illegal to knock down the door. Card lived in Bowdoin, in Sagadahoc County. The shooting happened in Lewiston, in a neighboring county.
Merry, who as Skolfield's boss also faced scrutiny by the independent commission, empathized. “I felt I defended him to the extent that I could,” the incumbent sheriff said.
The Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office comprises 20 full-time law enforcement officers in a county that spans 370 square miles (960 square kilometers) and includes more than 37,000 people.
Merry previously said his current term would be his last. But the 66-year-old said he still has things that he wants to accomplish after a health setback, family loss, and the Lewiston tragedy last year.
Skolfied, for his part, suggested it was time for Merry to step aside. He said Merry has spoken previously about not wanting to be the aging law officer who didn’t know when to pack it in.
As sheriff, Merry served on the board of Maine Behavioral Health and worked to get a mental health liaison, shared with the Brunswick Police Department. That person was already hired at the time of the Lewiston shootings, but had not yet begun working. He now realizes that there was too much work for one individual, so he’s working to get an individual to fulfill that specific role for the county.
Merry said he is working to improve services at the regional jail. And he also helped create a mental health and resiliency program for deputies. He hired one deputy last year, and is in the process of hiring two more.
Skolfield said he's happy with the hiring and said even more deputies are needed, though Merry said it’s difficult to justify to county commissioners when the number of service calls has been relatively flat.
Darryl Groh, a Skolfield supporter who lives in his hometown, said the patrol sergeant was unfairly scapegoated for the Lewiston tragedy. “Aaron would do a good job. He’s a results-driven guy,” said Groh. “He’ a straight shooter. He’s irritated people in the past because he doesn’t candy-coat things. He tells it like it is.”
Skolfield said he feels the governor politicized the race when she repeatedly singled him out at a recent news conference to discuss the independent commission's findings. That made Skolfield feel freer to defend his actions more aggressively.
The welfare check came after a warning that Card was going to “shoot up” his Army reserve unit’s headquarters. But Skolfield didn't have information about Card’s “hit list,” the extent of his mental health crisis and the medical recommendation that he not have access to guns when he paid a visit to Card’s home in Bowdoin. Skolfield said he felt military officials downplayed the threat but he nonetheless took the matter seriously, speaking to military officials, Card’s family and others. He said he worked on it for three days.
Skolfield said he was frustrated when testimony of several individuals to the independent commission that investigated events surrounding the shooting didn’t line up with his recollection. He also said the commission left important details surrounding his actions out from its 215-page report.
“Reading the report isn’t entirely accurate because there’s ample evidence that the commission absolutely left out of the report, which changes the whole tone,” he said.
Merry said he wished Skolfield had been provided a fuller picture of Card’s mental health crisis. “That’s an entirely different scenario, which I think would have had an entirely different response,” he said.
At the time of the welfare check, Merry was laid up by staph infection and surgery and was also acting as legal guardian for his brother, who died last year after a being disabled by a car accident. He logged into his computer from home on Sept. 15, 2023, but said he didn’t specifically recall Skolfield’s writeup from the welfare check. He said he didn't fully learn the details until later, after Card had gone on his shooting rampage.
One thing has changed since then.
Before the Lewiston shooting, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office hadn’t used the yellow flag law to remove guns from anyone experiencing a psychiatric emergency. Now, the law is being used about twice a day on average statewide. It has been used about 18 times in Sagadahoc.
The fact that state lawmakers had to act swiftly after the tragedy to make changes to improve the yellow flag law speaks for itself, both men said.
Voters are left to sort it out on Election Day. Vicki Sprague, an undecided voter, noted that many voters like her are probably distracted by the looming presidential race.
“I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve always had a great deal of respect for police department, fire department and the sheriff’s department. I think they’ve done a fabulous job,” she said. “The recent thing that happened?” she said, referring to the tragedy. “There were a lot of mistakes there. I don’t know. That’s where I’m at.”
David Sharp, The Associated Press
