Evans treats man after pacemaker shock at State House rally

By Michael Shepherd, Bangor Daily News Staff

AUGUSTA — A man was taken to a local hospital but in good condition after his pacemaker shocked him at a State House rally on April 11  that police said likely happened because of interference from a sound system.

The incident came at a rally between the State House and a state office building while the Legislature was in session. Police officers summoned Rep. Richard Evans, D-Dover Foxcroft, a doctor, from the House chamber to help, said Chief Matt Clancy of the Capitol Police.

Police did not release the name of the man who was shocked by the pacemaker. Clancy called the injury “unusual.” He said the pacemaker discharged a sudden shock that may have been caused by signal interference from the sound system.

After Evans helped the victim, Augusta paramedics arrived to take the man to the hospital for precautionary reasons. He was conscious, alert and in good spirits, Clancy said.

Evans was serving as the Legislature’s “doctor of the day,” a government relations program run by the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Osteopathic Association since 1997. The groups volunteer a physician to help respond to medical emergencies for each day of the legislative session. Lawmakers sometimes fill the mostly ceremonial role.