Video captures moment Dexter police shoot a man
Editor’s note: The following video contains graphic language and the depiction of a shooting.
By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff
A video filmed from a neighboring building captured the moment a man was shot by police in Dexter Thursday morning, June 13.
Christopher Hongo, 34, of Dexter, was shot and injured by Dexter Police Sgt. Gary Morin around 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the Dexter Police Department. Chief Kevin Wintle was also at the scene.
Hongo, Morin and Wintle were taken to hospitals. Morin and Wintle were treated and released, police said. There are no details on the severity of Hongo’s injuries.
The video provides a rare look at the events that lead to police shooting a person. That information often does not emerge until months later, after an investigation into the shooting has been completed.
The person who filmed the video gave the Bangor Daily News permission to use the footage but asked to remain anonymous as he did not want to be associated with the shooting.
Dexter Police Officer Brian Goodie confirmed to the BDN on Thursday afternoon that the video depicts Hongo being shot.
The video starts with a man, believed to be Hongo, standing with his hands behind his back and two officers standing behind him. The officers are believed to be Wintle and Morin, based on information provided by the Dexter Police Department.
Hongo turns around and an officer appears to shoot him with a stun gun. Hongo starts yelling as officers tell him to “get on the ground.” Hongo then swings at an officer and the other officer shoots a stun gun again.
Hongo again swings at an officer before shoving him down an embankment. He then shoves the second officer down the embankment. The embankment is around 5-feet deep and rocky, according to Google Maps images of the area.
One of the officers fires his gun at Hongo as he starts to walk down the embankment. Hongo yells again and a second shot is fired. It’s unclear if one or both shots hit Hongo.
Morin and Wintle are both on administrative leave. The Maine attorney general’s office is investigating the shooting.