Maine Republican Austin Theriault Referred to as Cops On Lawful Gun Proprietor

Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault, a Republican operating for a crucial U.S. Home seat as a champion of the Second Modification, referred to as his native sheriff’s workplace after passing a person wielding what seemed like an AR-15 rifle whereas going into his residence.

In a bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Jared Golden that might determine management of the Home, Theriault has attacked Golden for endorsing an assault weapons ban after a person with an assault-style rifle murdered 18 folks in Lewiston, Maine, in late October final 12 months.

However Theriault, a former champion race automotive driver who lives in Fort Kent, Maine, has apparently not at all times been comfy within the presence of the AR-15, maybe the perfect recognized instance of an assault-style rifle.

HuffPost obtained the information of Theriault’s interactions with the Aroostook County, Maine sheriff’s division. Theriault referred to as the Aroostook County, Maine sheriff’s division within the night of Jan. 10, 2023, to report his considerations a few man wielding what Theriault thought was an AR-15 whereas the person was coming into his entrance porch.

In line with the report, the dispatcher on the sheriff’s division stated Theriault “wanted to report a man walking onto his porch holding his AR-15. He didn’t have an address but stated he wanted law enforcement notified in case the man fired shots.”

No pictures had been fired, the report famous.

In their very own write-up of the incident, the officer subsequently tasked with responding to Theriault’s name implied that Theriault may tend to unnecessarily report different folks’s conduct to the police.

“Austin Theriault called in advising a male subject he passed was standing on his porch with what appeared to be [an] AR-15 rifle. I reviewed other cards and saw that Austin has called in multiple suspicious complaints to police,” the officer wrote. “Austin disclosed no information that lead [sic] me to believe any criminal conduct was committed. Austin could not give an address but described the residence.”

“Cleared nothing further,” the officer then concluded.

Maine, a rural state with a strong searching tradition, doesn’t prohibit possession of assault-style rifles. It doesn’t even require residents to acquire a allow to personal a gun.

Native Democrats accused Theriault of hypocrisy for calling the police on a person lawfully holding an AR-15-style rifle whereas additionally crusading towards Golden for backing an assault weapons ban.

“It’s northern Maine, and there’s a whole bunch of reasons why you may be sitting on your porch with a rifle,” stated Maine Senate President Troy Jackson (D), who lives lower than an hour from Theriault within the city of Allagash. “If I drove by a house or something like that and saw somebody sitting there, I might wonder, but I don’t think, unless I know that person and I know that they have health issues, I don’t think I’d ever be calling the police on anyone, and most people that I know wouldn’t either.”

“If you’re beating your chest about being the Second Amendment guy, I do think that’s kind of odd,” added Jackson, who owns 5 weapons.

John Martin, a former speaker of the Maine Home of Representatives and a Fort Kent resident, raised comparable questions on Theriault’s actions, whereas emphasizing he didn’t know precisely what Theriault noticed that night.

“It surprises me, because why would he complain about someone having that gun when he was complaining Golden should not have done what he did?” stated Martin, who owns six weapons. “I don’t see the follow-through from his point of view.”

Jen Lynds, chair of the Aroostook County, Maine, Democratic Occasion, took a special tack, arguing Theriault’s considerations had been professional, however that he ought to prolong the identical understanding to individuals who need to prohibit AR-15s.

“Austin Theriault is justified in his apprehension regarding the presence of weapons of warfare in a residential area,” Lynds stated. “Nevertheless, it is regrettable that he is only concerned with firearms safety when it could potentially impact him or his family. Most of the time, he is prepared to sacrifice the safety of others in exchange for political rhetoric.”

A spokesperson for the Theriault marketing campaign responded to HuffPost’s inquiry in regards to the police name by claiming to have talked a neighborhood Maine outlet out of protecting this story. However the marketing campaign declined to debate its model of occasions with HuffPost on document.

The Lewiston bloodbath has made Maine’s reigning Democrats ― who, in 2022, maintained their “trifecta” (management of the governorship and each state legislative homes) ― extra open to imposing stricter gun rules.

This previous April, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a legislation mandating background checks for personal gun gross sales which might be publicly marketed, and expanded the state’s “yellow flag” provisions empowering legislation enforcement to place “dangerous people” in custody and take away their arms. (In contrast to “red flag” legal guidelines, which permit particular person civilians to straight search an emergency court docket order confiscating somebody’s weapons, a “yellow flag” legislation requires people to report their considerations to the police who then assess the declare.)

Mills additionally allowed a invoice making a 72-hour ready interval for gun purchases to turn into legislation with out her signature.

Golden, a Lewiston-born fight veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, had his personal emotional change of coronary heart following the bloodshed in his hometown. He reversed his opposition to assault weapons on Oct. 26 ― the day after the Lewiston bloodbath ― and apologized for his earlier stance.

“I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war, like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime,” Golden stated in an Oct. 26 press convention. “The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure.”

Within the ensuing months, Golden, himself an AR-15 proprietor, elaborated on his place. He clarified that he’s calling for a state-level ban on new assault-style rifle purchases and gross sales going ahead, whereas additionally permitting current house owners to carry their weapons in a extra regulated capability.

Golden has additionally argued that banning a selected sort of gun due to its uncommon lethality can be more practical and fewer intrusive than creating new bureaucratic hurdles for folks to acquire weapons legally. With that in thoughts, he got here out towards Mills’ bundle of expanded background checks and “yellow flag” provisions, in addition to the state’s three-day ready interval.

Theriault responded to the Lewiston bloodbath by blasting Golden on social media for “attacking the 2nd Amendment.”

In lieu of further gun rules, Theriault wrote he helps “the largest-ever investment in mental health care and access that the country has ever seen.”

However in mid-April, Theriault joined nearly all of his Republican colleagues to vote towards a supplemental price range invoice dramatically growing funding for gun violence prevention and for psychological well being packages. The invoice created the state’s workplace of gun violence prevention and supplied it with $3.2 million in preliminary funding, appropriated $6 million in funding for victims’ companies, and allotted tens of millions extra to a bunch of psychological well being initiatives like cell disaster groups and disaster receiving facilities.

In Theriault’s information, there may be one different occasion of him reporting somebody’s conduct to the police.

Theriault referred to as the sheriff’s division on Nov. 8, 2022, to report a “suspicious vehicle” at a scenic lookout level in Wallagrass, Maine. The officer responding to the decision discovered a Black man and a white girl smoking marijuana in a white Honda with Florida plates.

“It appeared that they were smoking while at the parking lot and had not driven after consuming marijuana,” the officer wrote within the report.

The sale and consumption of marijuana is authorized in Maine, however driving whereas excessive isn’t. The responding officer insisted that the couple depart the automotive there and get a trip residence, and that he would pull over the driving force if he noticed him on the highway.

Golden’s reelection struggle towards Theriault is predicted to be some of the hotly contested races within the nation. Golden, a co-chair of the centrist Blue Canine Caucus who has refused to say how he’ll vote within the presidential election, is one among simply 5 Home Democrats representing seats the place Donald Trump received in 2020. Democrats want a internet achieve of simply 4 seats to retake management of the Home from the reigning GOP.

The Nationwide Rifle Affiliation endorsed Theriault on Monday, citing Golden’s assist for an assault weapons ban. Throughout Golden’s 2022 reelection bid, the gun rights group had given Golden a “B” grade and declined to endorse within the race.