16-year-old identified as ‘high risk arrest’ that brought police, FBI to South Portland

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) - The person who was arrested with the help of a Portland-based SWAT team has been identified as a 16-year-old boy.

South Portland police called in the team to assist in the arrest at a home on Elm Street Wednesday evening.

Photos provided by an anonymous neighbor showed multiple officers armed with long guns and body armor approaching the property in the densely populated neighborhood.

Chief Dan Ahern said evidence gathered during the arrest will result in several charges, including arson, criminal mischief and theft, with further charges possible.

Ahern said the investigation started a few days ago after receiving information from a school resource officer.

The information allegedly included the teen developing a plan to commit a very serious, potential crime in the community.

After the report, South Portland Police and the FBI became involved and executed a search warrant to arrest the teen at the Elm Street home.

“We developed information that the subject was in possession of several firearms or had access to several firearms. That elevated our risk assessment to a very high risk and took the initiative to engage our regional swat team to help us make that arrest due to the fact that there was a large amount of weapons that we suspected were inside the home,” Ahern said.

Ahern said then teenager complied willingly for the arrest, but a man at the residence interfered. The man was shot with a bean bag round before he was arrested and taken for medical attention.

Reports of guns inside the home prompted the high-risk response.

Officials say the FBI and Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office are involved in the investigation.