Police Have 12-Hour Standoff With An Empty Hotel Room In Portland

People traveling around the Portland/Westbrook line yesterday were stunned by a heavy police presence. At the corner of Riverside Street and Brighton Avenue, a Motel 6 location was evacuated and surrounded by police after a potential hostile situation erupted. SWAT teams were called in and snipers were said to be positioned in case the situation took an ugly turn with an armed suspect. But after 12 hours of a heavy presence, the police ended up finding one thing...an empty hotel room.

According to the Bangor Daily News, police were expecting to find a 40-year-old man wanted in questioning about an alleged domestic violence assault. He had apparently fled the scene without police knowing, leading to a lengthy standoff with no conclusion. As of Tuesday afternoon, police had finally caught up with and arrested the 40-year-old suspect.

Police had been tipped that the man may be armed. They took precautionary measures by surrounding the Motel 6 and evacuating guests in adjacent rooms and floors. While they didn't initially find the suspect in the hotel room, they did find the gun they believed he possessed elsewhere during their investigation.