Maine police officer accused of lying about missing man as search continues
A Maine police officer accused of lying about a missing person case was charged with several crimes, including falsifying a report in which he claimed he had taken the missing man now at the center of an ongoing search to a hospital, police said.
Chandler Cole, a Washburn police sergeant, resigned after being charged with aggravated forgery, tampering with public records or information, falsifying physical evidence, and unsworn falsification, according to court records. He was arrested on 29 March.
Cole said he had no comment when reached by the Associated Press.
The charges, first reported by WAGM-TV, stem from the case of a missing person who appeared to be distressed when seen walking along a road on 30 January.
Cole reported that he had picked up Erik Foote and dropped him off at a convenience store. But he told Foote’s parents he took him to the hospital.
An investigation concluded Cole altered his report to reflect a hospital drop-off. But there is no hospital record to support the claim.
Foote has yet to be located in a case that has riveted the community of 1,500 people, which organized another search party to look for him over the weekend.
The Aroostook county sheriff ’s office is now handling the investigation.
The town is in the process of deciding whether to keep a police department. Washburn’s police chief retired on 31 January. Cole resigned in February, and a young officer is working elsewhere, said Donna Turner, the town manager.
For now, the sheriff’s office is providing coverage while Washburn is without police.