On Memorial Day, police opened fire on a truck driver who was approaching the United States-Canadian border.
Tony Holford, 42, of Providence, Rhode Island, was accused of aggravated reckless conduct, terrorizing, and failure to stop. At 10:39 a.m., the Maine State Police Trooper Denver Roy attempted to stop the vehicle heading north on Interstate 95 in Houlton, Maine, however, the driver continued driving north while displaying a sign indicating he had an explosive device on board.
After the vehicle stopped between the U.S. and Canadian ports of entry, troopers commanded Holford to get out of the vehicle, but he maneuvered the truck towards the Canadian port of entry. Corporal Eric Paquette then fired at Holford, who was later arrested and taken to the Aroostook County Jail.
The Maine State Police Bomb Squad and crime scene technicians advised motorists to use alternative points of entry as they processed the scene. The Woodstock, New Brunswick, border crossing was reopened Monday night, according to a tweet posted by the Canada Border Services Agency’s Atlantic Region. The Office of the Maine Attorney General and the Maine State Police will work together to investigate the events that led up to the shooting. Maine State Police Trooper Eric Paquette, who is a 23-year veteran of the MSP, was promoted to corporal of the Firearms Training Unit in March. Paquette has attended numerous firearms trainings and armorer school and has an expertise in multiple weapons platforms.