By KEVIN WACK
Portland Press Herald
2 hostages at Maine state prison released unharmed
AUGUSTA, Me. — A dangerous standoff at the Maine State Prison began Monday when an inmate used a makeshift knife to take and threaten two hostages.
It ended when police stormed through a window more than seven hours later, leading the hostage-taker to surrender at gunpoint, officials said Tuesday in recounting the standoff that led to the lockdown of the Warren facility.
In between, inmate Michael Chasse, 33, of Lewiston was locked in tense negotiations with two prison guards who were just a few feet away and could see everything that was happening.
A state police tactical team ended the standoff just seconds after Chasse released one of the hostages.
''He went down on his own, and it was a very good move on his part,’' said Corrections Commissioner Martin Magnusson.
The hostage incident - known inside the prison as a Code White - was the first since the state facility opened in 2002.
Neither hostage was identified by authorities, who said they did not sustain serious injuries.
The hostage who was released just before the standoff ended is a prison employee. He had been scratched and hit with an object, according to authorities. He was treated at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport and released.
The second hostage, an inmate, suffered facial cuts. He was treated at the prison infirmary.
Magnusson declined to talk about what might have triggered the incident, saying that it remains under investigation. But he said Chasse was armed with a 5-inch shank that was taped to his left hand, and the hostages were restrained.
He described the standoff as intense, especially in its early stages.
''Chasse was extremely volatile, and there was serious concern that he was going to inflict ... serious injury on the hostages,’' Magnusson said.
''And we were fully prepared if necessary to’’ use deadly force, he said.
The situation began around 2:30 p.m. Monday inside a small glass-windowed office in a building that is used for prison programs, including education and recreation.
During the first 15 minutes of the standoff, 150 to 200 inmates were moved out of the building and the entire prison went into lockdown, Magnusson said.
The two prison guards who negotiated with Chasse were quickly joined by members of a prison tactical team. Later, the state police team arrived.
Chasse made multiple demands, said Magnusson, who refused to describe them or say what led to the release of the prison employee.
He praised the work of the state police and the prison’s staff.
''I think both departments worked extremely well together, communicated very well together, and brought this to a successful resolution,’' Magnusson said.
After the incident, Chasse was moved to a part of the prison where he has no contact with other inmates. He is expected to face multiple criminal charges.
Knox County District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau said he expects to receive a report on the incident within the next several weeks. He said Chasse could be charged by a Knox County grand jury, which next meets in September, or he could be charged sooner.
Chasse, who is serving time for aggravated assault, escape and other offenses, has had other high-profile entanglements with law enforcement officials.
In 1998, during his trial in the assault and robbery of the brother of former Defense Secretary William Cohen, Chasse escaped by throwing powdered laundry detergent into the eyes of the Piscataquis County sheriff and chief deputy. He also stabbed the two law enforcement officials before being arrested five hours later.
Chasse, who is scheduled to be released in 2029, was not being held in maximum security at the time of Monday’s incident, Magnusson said.
The corrections commissioner declined to discuss Chasse’s record as a prisoner, citing confidentiality rules.
''I can’t get into the details of his behavior inside the prison,’' he said. ''As you know, he has a history.’'
Staff Writer Kevin Wack can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:
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