By September, the commission had determined that the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office had probable cause to believe that Robert Card was “likely to pose significant harm” and that the state of Maine had issued a “yellow flag.” The court found that he should have been detained in accordance with the law. Officers also had enough information to pursue criminal assault charges against him.
Instead, the sergeant who responded to the call about Card (including Card's threat to shoot himself) failed to adequately investigate, and after the sergeant went on leave, the Sheriff's Office decided to pursue another case. The committee's investigation found that the commission had failed to assign it to a person.
The report identified concerns and red flags about Mr. Card, many of which had been previously reported and had accumulated in the months leading up to the attack. His family has sought help for him and reported his deteriorating mental health to law enforcement, and his actions have alarmed members of his Army Reserve unit.
Maine's yellow flag law allows for the temporary removal of firearms from a person deemed a threat, but it has more usage requirements than other states' red flag laws and requires police involvement and a medical evaluation. ing. Still, the commission determined that the sheriff's office had sufficient information about the cards to meet the criteria for a yellow flag order.
The commission also found that the sheriff's office abdicated its responsibility by making “a decision to hand over responsibility for the removal of Mr. Card's firearm to Mr. Card's family” rather than pursuing a yellow flag order. .
The commission, chaired by a former state Supreme Court chief justice, is expected to complete its final report this year.
Card allegedly opened fire at a Lewiston bowling alley on October 25, killing eight people, then drove his car into a bar, killing 10 more. Thirteen people were injured in the shooting and another 14 were injured in the chaos.
Card fled, sparking a two-day manhunt involving hundreds of police in the rural, wooded county. Lewiston and the surrounding area were placed on lockdown. Card was found dead in a trailer at a recycling company on October 27th. Law enforcement announced he died by suicide.
The Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday morning. In December, the department released a report conducted by an independent reviewer that concluded the sergeant had no reason to detain Card and the sheriff's office's response was reasonable.
Commission Chairman Daniel E. Wasen said in a statement that the group will hold additional public meetings before releasing its final report.
“Nothing we do can change what happened on that terrible day, but knowing the facts is what the victims, their families, and the people of Maine need and deserve,” he said in a statement. It will help us provide the answers we deserve.”
This story will be updated.
