Attorney General Aaron Frey has concluded that the fatal shooting of Daniel Ryan, 65, by a Waldo County Sheriff’s Office sergeant was justified. Ryan had threatened to burn down his Belfast apartment and approached officers with a gas can that was on fire. The incident took place in June, after Ryan made multiple threatening calls to the police, warning them of his intentions. Police attempted to evacuate the building and take Ryan into custody, but he refused to comply. When confronted by Sgt. Nicholas Oettinger, Ryan was holding a burning gas can and did not heed instructions to drop it, resulting in Oettinger shooting him out of concern for the safety of everyone present. Ryan was subsequently pronounced dead with severe gunshot wounds. The attorney general’s office investigates all cases involving deadly force by the police. The incident was captured on body cameras, and the report indicated that Oettinger acted based on the perceived threat posed by the burning gas can. The firefighters managed to extinguish the fire that Ryan had started. This incident highlights the difficult decisions law enforcement officers face when dealing with potentially dangerous individuals and underscores the risks they take to protect the community.
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