RUMFORD, ME — A 55-year-old man from Jay died by suicide on the Chisholm Park Bridge on Thursday morning after a standoff with police.
A passing motorist reported a man seated alone in a vehicle stopped in the opposing lane of traffic in the middle of the bridge, also known locally as the Memorial Bridge, at approximately 7:48 a.m.
When the motorist stopped to check on the individual, the man appeared distraught and displayed a handgun, indicating his intent to take his own life, according to the Rumford Police Department.
The motorist immediately contacted 911.
Rumford police officers, Oxford County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Rumford Fire Department and MedCare Ambulance personnel responded and secured the area.
Rumford police made repeated attempts to establish verbal contact with the man and de-escalate the situation using a public-address system.
At approximately 8:23 a.m., the man raised a semi-automatic handgun and fatally shot himself.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The man was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
Only one shot was fired, and no shots were fired by law enforcement.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct its standard examination and investigation before the individual is released to his family.
The bridge was reopened to traffic at approximately 9:30 a.m.
