A confrontation outside the Rumford, Maine, police station late Monday evening, October 30, 2023, resulted in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old man from Canton, Maine.
The incident took place when Sean Dyment allegedly approached law enforcement officers with a rifle while they were speaking to a resident.
According to multiple reports, deputies from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office were conversing with a resident about a vehicle that had reportedly been following them.
During this interaction, a vehicle that matched the description given by the resident arrived at the police station. Dyment emerged from this vehicle and confronted the officers while brandishing a rifle. In response to this apparent threat, Dyment was shot by the deputies.
Following the shooting, Dyment was transported to Rumford Hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead. It remains unclear from the reports whether Dyment was the driver of the described vehicle or if he had other occupants with him at the time.
The two deputies directly involved in the shooting, Joshua Aylward and Deputy Matthew Steinort, have been placed on administrative leave. This is a standard procedure to allow for a thorough investigation. The Attorney General’s Office has taken charge of the inquiry to ensure an impartial review of the events leading to the shooting.
Safety protocols and measures are always of paramount importance for law enforcement agencies. The Oxford County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies involved will review their current practices in light of this incident.
The town of Rumford, with its close-knit community, has been shaken by this incident. Many express their sympathies to the Dyment family and hope the investigation will provide the clarity and answers they seek.