Fatal shooting in Berwick ruled self defense

BERWICK, Maine — No charges will be filed against a Berwick man for a fatal shooting in May because it has been ruled an act of self defense, according to Maine State Police.

Maine State Police announced Tuesday that 25-year-old Christopher Utt will not be prosecuted for the death of fellow Berwick resident Edward Badeau at Utt's 321 School Street residence on May 13.

That morning, the Berwick Police Department received a report of a shooting at the home, where officers found the two men injured with gunshot wounds in a bedroom. Utt was transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital and was later brought to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he underwent surgery. Badeau, 41, was taken to WentworthDouglass Hospital in Dover, where he later died.

Badeau's death was ruled a homicide by the New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner's Office two days after the shooting.

State and town police investigated the incident and collected evidence, a weeks-long process that culminated in their discovering that Badeau “forcefully” entered into Utt's house on the morning of May 13 wielding a handgun, according to police.

“Investigators learned that Badeau exited his vehicle and discharged his handgun into the air multiple times before forcefully entering into Utt's home through the front door,” state police wrote in a news release. “After Badeau entered the house, both Utt and Badeau exchanged gunfire at the threshold of

Utt's bedroom.”

The Maine attorney general's office investigated the case and determined that Utt shot Badeau in self-defense.

“This was a narrow and contained event, and there was no risk to the public,” state police stated.

State police did not specify the relationship between the two men nor why Badeau forcefully entered Utt's home.

Utt is still recovering from his injuries sustained in the incident two months later, state police said.