A review defends police action before the Maine mass shooting. Legal experts say questions persist

By PATRICK WHITTLE and DAVID SHARP
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — An independent report conducted for a police agency clears the agency’s response to growing concerns about the mental health of a man who later went on to commit the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history. But legal experts said Friday the review does reveal missed opportunities to intervene to prevent the tragedy in Lewiston. Despite warnings of deteriorating mental health, drunken threats and gun possession, the sheriff’s department chose to avoid confronting an Army reservist who later killed 18 people. The legal experts told The Associated Press that the report leaves unresolved questions about the ability of police to remove guns from the reservist before the shootings happened.