
A man was taken into protective custody on Monday following an extensive search by law enforcement in the Sweden area. At approximately 2:45 p.m., the Oxford County Regional Communications Center received a report of a naked male who had emerged from the woods along Knights Hill Road and was carrying a rifle, according to a news release from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office. “The male was covered in mud and woods debris and interacted with several contractors working at a nearby job site,” the sheriff’s office said. Witnesses reported the male said that his friend had been shot and needed help, then he went back into the woods and out of sight. Agencies including the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and local police and fire personnel responded to conduct a search. A perimeter was established and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office said drones, police dogs, Command Post, and MRAP were all resources used in the search. Neighbors in the area were asked to shelter in place. Around 7:30 p.m., a 34-year-old man, formerly of Cambridge, was found at a nearby home and taken into protective custody, according to the sheriff’s office. The man had minor injuries to his feet and was treated at the scene. The man was brought to Bridgton Hospital for a mental health evaluation, the sheriff’s office said. A high-powered pellet rifle was found and seized at the home. A K9 team reportedly found several items of clothing and other personal property and footprints in the snow and mud. The Oxford County Sheriff’s Office said there are no criminal charges pending. “We do not believe and have not discovered any credible information that others were involved or injured in the woods,” the sheriff’s office said. “We do not believe there is any danger to the public and that this male acted alone.” The section of Knights Hill Road between North High Street (Route 302) in Bridgton and Black Mountain Road in Sweden had closed during the incident. The road reopened around 8:15 p.m. Monday.