Brawl, chase lead to arrest

ASHLAND – A Presque Isle man was being held in Aroostook County Jail on Friday on several charges stemming from a bar fight the night before involving guns. After leaving the bar, the man was the subject of a manhunt involving 19 police officers that ended in the early hours of the morning.

Ricky Haines, 44, was charged with two counts of criminal threatening. He is expected to make his initial appearance in court on Monday. Other charges are expected before the investigation is concluded, according to acting Ashland Police Chief Cyr Martin.

Haines was being held in jail in lieu of $7,500 cash bail Friday afternoon. After his initial court appearance, he is scheduled to appear in Presque Isle District Court on Jan. 12, 2005.

Martin said police were called by Freeman Deabay, the owner of Freem’s Bar and Grill on Main Street, after there had been a fight at 11 p.m. in the bar involving Haines and another man. Martin said Haines later threatened to kill him and the owner of the bar.

Nineteen law enforcement personnel, including a six-person Maine State Police tactical team, were involved with the search for Haines, which ended with his arrest at 3:30 a.m.

According to Martin, Haines, who was unknown to people at the bar, came in earlier with a local man, who departed, leaving Haines there. Martin said Haines began picking on people, and at one point became involved in a fight with another patron.

During the fight, Haines allegedly pulled a revolver, possibly a .22 -caliber, from a leg holster. Deabay kicked the gun out of the man’s hand and Haines was subdued. His efforts subsided, and he was released and left the bar.

That’s when Deabay called police.

A short time afterward, police say, Haines returned to the bar with a second revolver, possibly a .357 Magnum. He allegedly flashed the gun and told Deabay he wanted his first gun back. Given his first revolver with no argument, Haines left the bar, walking down Watch Street.

Police trailed Haines to a local apartment. Other people were removed from the apartment, but police were told Haines was not there. Someone had spied movement toward the rear of the building.

Meanwhile, other law enforcement officials – two deputies from the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department, a fire marshal, three U.S. Border Patrol agents, four members of the Maine State Police and the six-person tactical team – arrived to assist the three police officers from Ashland who were already involved.

The search continued for about two hours, when a shot rang out in the dark. Cyr said one of his officers, Hazen Walker, reported something whistling past him, believed to be a bullet fired by Haines.

The search continued until an officer saw someone matching Haines’ description walking on Station Hill Road. Haines, dressed in camouflage clothing, was stopped and arrested.

“He supposedly suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome,” Martin said of Haines. “He was very belligerent, yelling and swearing at us and refusing to answer questions.

“We found several knives on him, including a large hunting knife, a switchblade knife, and several other small knives in his possession,” Martin said. “He was very military-minded.”

Martin said police dogs found where Haines had been lying in the grass when he allegedly fired the shot toward police.

Martin said his department had not had problems with Haines in the past, but said state police and sheriff’s deputies have had problems with Haines before.