KITTERY, Maine — A man wanted in connection with the killing of his wife was fatally shot by state troopers on a bridge that connects New Hampshire and Maine after he exited his vehicle and raised a firearm during a tense standoff early Thursday morning, authorities said. The suspect’s son was then found shot to death inside his car.
Just after 2 a.m., the York Police Department in Maine received a call from the man who admitted to killing his wife during a fight at their home in the New Hampshire town of Troy, Maine State Police Col. William Ross said during an afternoon news conference that we held at Kittery Police Headquarters.
York police officers located the man parked in a southbound lane on I-95 on the Piscataqua River Bridge in Maine around 2:30 a.m. and an hours-long standoff ensued, Ross said. The suspect is believed to have killed his wife at the home in Troy before driving nearly two hours east to the bridge.
The man, whose name hasn’t been made public, exited his vehicle at one point and allegedly raised a firearm. Ross said he was then shot dead by New Hampshire and Maine troopers.
“Negotiations were ultimately unsuccessful,” Ross told reporters. “Maine State Trooper Craig Nilsen and two New Hampshire state troopers responded with deadly force.”
The man fell from the bridge after being shot and plunged into the river below, according to Ross. The Coast Guard responded to the scene and recovered his body.
“The male suspect was located deceased in the water below the bridge. He was declared dead at the scene. He fell from the bridge,” Ross said.
Law enforcement officials on the bridge later located the suspect’s 8-year-old son dead in the back of his vehicle.
“I want to stress right now that the child’s death is not associated with the police officers’ use of deadly force today,” Ross said. “Officers involved at the scene didn’t fire on that child.”
The troopers involved in the deadly shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation, according to Ross.
The bridge was shut down for several hours to protect the public as emergency crews secured the scene. Traffic was diverted to the two other local bridges in the area during the early morning and morning rush hours. Motorists were advised to seek alternate routes.
Troy is located in the western part of New Hampshire, about 100 miles away from the bridge. Between 70,000 and 80,000 vehicles use the Piscataqua Bridge each day, according to transportation officials.
State police troopers and Troy police officers were still gathered at the scene of the woman’s death at a home at 359 Menadnock Street in Troy on Thursday afternoon.
Maine State Police Major Crimes and New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes are investigating the deaths of the female and the child.
An autopsy is scheduled to be performed on the woman’s body on Friday morning.
The names of those who are dead haven’t been released.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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