‘Unthinkable’: Memorial for Maine officers who died on duty vandalized

AUGUSTA, Maine - Disgust and anger - emotions being felt after a memorial for Maine’s fallen law enforcement was vandalized over Memorial Day weekend.

The Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial sits in the shadow of the Maine State Capitol building in Augusta.

Yellow crime scene tape and a green tarp hides what vandals left behind.

Police said someone sprayed-painted the granite walls of the memorial which lists the names of 88 law enforcement officers who died.

Capitol Police are investigating and say the contents of the message are considered evidence so they are not releasing what message was actually spray-painted.

They believe vandals struck Sunday during the early morning hours.

”A tremendous amount of emotion and sort of general disgust as to what happened here,” Capitol Police Chief Matthew Clancy said.

“This made me very sick,” Kennebec County D.A. Investigator Christian Behr said. “Because the fact that somebody would vandalize this memorial just is unthinkable.”

Police are searching video evidence captured on security cameras in the area.

Special equipment is being brought in from South Portland in the next couple days so the memorial can be cleaned appropriately.

Maine Chiefs Of Police Association and Maine Sheriffs Association are jointly offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for this damage.

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