Police responded to a call just before 2 a.m. Tuesday from a concerned citizen saying they believed several people were being held against their will at the Brookside Motel, 30 Ocean Park Road, according to Deputy Police Chief Jack Clements.
When police arrived, one man jumped out the back window and ran off. Police searched for the suspect with help from a Wells K-9, but were not able to find him, Clements said.
One woman in the room later left on her own and was arrested, he said.
There were two remaining in the room, a man and a woman, who, despite police reassurance that they would not be harmed, refused to leave, said Clements.
“They were just obstinate, they did not want to come out,” he said.
Police discovered the woman remaining in the room had outstanding warrants for her and were able to obtain a search warrant to enter the motel room.
Police led a woman and a man out of the hotel around 9 a.m. Tuesday.
No one was injured in the incident, but Clements said a handgun was found behind the motel room.
Maine State Police were called to assist because of the potential threat of a hostage situation, said Clements.
During the course of the investigation, it was determined it was unlikely that anyone was being held against their will, he said.
Rooms from the main building of the hotel were evacuated and people across the street were asked to evacuate their homes or shelter in place during the standoff.
Clements said there was no risk to the public, and the road near the motel was blocked off as a precaution.
“This is a very safe, nice area. This is kind of an oddity,” said Clements. “Like anything, you can have something like this happen anywhere in the country. There’s no borders when it comes to certain things.”
Police from Old Orchard Beach and Biddeford also assisted.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].
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