Intoxicated ATV driver leads cops on chase, then pees in police car, Maine officials say

An intoxicated man in rural Maine “recklessly” led police on a chase while riding an ATV through a residential neighborhood, according to officials.

Police officers in East Millinocket, a town of less than 2,000 people, were alerted to a man who had flipped his ATV outside a convenience store in Millinocket, a neighboring town, and got into a dust-up with another patron on Sept. 19, according to a release from the department.

A short time later, officers saw the suspect, later identified as a 40-year-old man from Millinocket, driving the ATV rapidly and “recklessly” down a main road, according to police. Officers attempted to stop the man, but he eluded them for some time, driving through residential streets.

With the assistance of locals, police followed the all-terrain vehicle’s tracks and eventually located the suspect, who had hid behind an apartment building, according to officials. When an officer attempted to detain the suspect, he became “highly belligerent,” threatened to harm police and resisted arrest, authortities said.

With the assistance of other officers, the man was taken into custody and, on his way to the county jail, he “purposefully urinated inside the police cruiser,” according to the release.

He was charged with operating under the influence and eluding an officer, among other charges. He also had an existing warrant for a previous criminal charge, according to officials.

The East Millinocket Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News. The investigation remains open and additional charges are possible, according to officials.

“East Millinocket PD wants to remind citizens that ATV access trails in town are to be used to access ATV trails and town streets are not to be used for ATV joy riding, going to the store and visiting friends,” officials said on Facebook.

East Millinocket is in northeast Maine, about 130 miles from Augusta.

This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Intoxicated ATV driver leads cops on chase, then pees in police car, Maine officials say."