Man Shot By Sheriff's Deputy in Stonington

STONINGTON—According to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy John Stanley shot a man in Stonington on Saturday afternoon.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, shortly before 4 p.m., the Hancock County Regional Communications Center (911) received a call from 47 Weed Field Road. The caller reported that her son, Erik-Thor Himpler, 35, threatened to burn down their home.

“Deputy John Stanley responded to the area and located Mr. Himpler walking on the roadway,” the release reads. “Deputy Stanley gave commands for Mr. Himpler to stop. Mr. Himpler refused the commands and raised a firearm that he pulled from his waistband. Deputy Stanley then shot Mr. Himpler.”

Sgt. Rob Morang and Deputy Mariza Gionfriddo helped Deputy Stanley give “immediate aid” to Himpler until paramedics came to the scene. Ambulance personnel took Himpler to Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital. After this, an ambulance took him to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.

“Mr. Himpler’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening,” Lieutenant Brian Archer said.

The Maine Attorney General’s office will investigate Deputy Stanley’s use of deadly force, which is standard protocol. The Maine State Police are assisting with the criminal investigation. Deputy Stanley has been placed on administrative leave, which is also protocol.

---

While this is out of our typical coverage zone, we do cover the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department within the police beats as well as other county agencies that are funded by property tax payers on Mount Desert Island.

The photo used in the creation of the cover image is courtesy of the Bangor Daily News, which we have a sharing agreement with.

Update: We’ve tweaked the headline of this story at 10 a.m., October 6.

---

---

If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here.

If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.