An Augusta man described by police as a member of a white supremacist group was arrested Thursday morning after a chaotic police chase through downtown Old Orchard Beach.
Jacob Hastings
Photo courtesy York County Sheriff’s Office
Old Orchard Beach police said Jacob Hastings, 27, was charged with violating probation for robbery and aggravated criminal mischief. Hastings was held Thursday night in the York County Jail in Alfred.
Deputy Chief of Police Chief Timothy DeLuca said in a news release that the Maine Department of Corrections confirmed that Hastings is a member of the Aryan Nation, a white supremacist religious organization based in Hayden Lake, Idaho.
“Hastings was known to have a history of violent crimes and made recent comments to kill officers attempting to apprehend him,” DeLuca said in the release. “Other history of Hastings and intelligence indicated he was a high-risk apprehension.”
Old Orchard Beach police received information on Wednesday from the Department of Corrections that Hastings was last seen driving a white Chevrolet Trail Blazer in Old Orchard Beach, DeLuca said.
Officers found Hastings’ vehicle Thursday morning at a rental property at 42 Milliken St., off East Grand Avenue, a short walk from the town pier, the Palace Playland amusement park and downtown Old Orchard Beach.
Officers from the local police and the Department of Corrections surrounded the home and persuaded Hastings to surrender. Instead, police say, Hastings fled into the backyard, climbed a barbed wire fence and started running toward condominiums on Cleaves Street, a beachfront property.
Hastings tried to steal a vehicle from its owner, police said, but was interrupted by two civilians who delayed him until officers arrived.
Officers handcuffed Hastings and put him in a cruiser, but Hastings kicked out the rear window, DeLuca said.
“He dove out the window with his handcuffs on,” DeLuca said. “He was determined not to go back to prison.”
Officers subdued him with a Taser.
“There were not a lot of tourists around today, but it could have been a problem if this has happened last weekend (Labor Day weekend),” said Assistant Town Manager Louise Reid on Thursday night.
Reid praised the department for its handling of the situation. Reid listened to the entire episode on her office police scanner.
Hastings was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland for treatment of minor injuries before being taken to jail.
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