Authorities say man holding burning gas could face charges against Maine police and be fatally shot by police deputy

BELFAST, Maine (AP) – A man holding a burning can of gasoline who attacked police was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy, Maine authorities said.

On Monday afternoon, a 65-year-old man called the Waldo County dispatch center and said he would burn down his Belfast apartment building if law enforcement did not respond, the county sheriff’s office and the Belfast Police Department said in a joint news release. release.

The man continued to threaten to burn down the building when sheriff’s deputies and police arrived, the release said. When they entered the building, the man “attacked officers with a burning gas canister” and a deputy shot him, he added.

The man was identified as Daniel Ryan. A search did not immediately yield a phone number for him or his family members.

Deputy, Sgt. The release said Nicholas Oettinger will be placed on administrative leave while the attorney general’s office conducts an investigation.

According to The Republican Journal, Oettinger worked as a deputy in Monroe County, Florida, before joining the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office in 2010.

Belfast is approximately 56 kilometers south of Bangor.