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Barn owner fires gun, deters burglary

Canaan man successful in scaring away two suspects and capturing another

By Erin Rhoda erhoda@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

CANAAN -- A homeowner fired a gun into the air and captured one of three people allegedly burglarizing his barn early Wednesday morning, police say.

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David Fortier

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Rachelle Clukey

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David A. Fortier, 22, of Canaan, and Damien Shane Towers, 19, of Skowhegan, are both charged with burglary and theft. Rachelle R. Clukey, 19, of Cornville, is charged with theft by receiving stolen property.

A homeowner on Whitten Road notified the Somerset County Sheriff's Office at 1:38 a.m. that there were people inside a barn next to his residence who were loading items into a white, 1978 Ford truck, according to Lt. Carl Gottardi.

While deputies were driving to investigate the report of the burglary in process, the sheriff's office received another call about the sound of gun shots in the area, Gottardi said. The dispatcher was also told the white truck had driven away.

Deputy Wilfred Dodge found Clukey driving the truck on Whitten Road and Fortier walking on the road, Gottardi said. At the residence, Deputy David Cole found the homeowner, armed with a rifle, restraining Towers.

Police say the homeowner had fired several shots into the air to scare away the burglars, and they tried to flee. The homeowner then ran behind the barn and caught Towers, and had him by the arm when Cole arrived, Gottardi said.

The items allegedly stolen from the barn -- rolls of copper wire and an electric grinder -- were recovered.

The owner of the property is Everett Salsbury, according to the Canaan Town Office, but efforts to locate him on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

District Attorney Evert Fowle said that, while he would not encourage people to discharge their firearms in situations such as these, it is not illegal to shoot a weapon to defend one's property.

"The act of firing a warning shot in the air, it's not per se illegal to do that to scare off an intruder. Obviously we look at whether the act of doing that endangered other people or other property. If it's a crowded urban neighborhood, it might be looked at differently than if it were out in the country," he said.

Salsbury lives in a two-story brown house set back from the road on a dirt driveway. Behind his house is a field, and beyond that field are cornfields.

Adjacent to his house are a large red barn, outbuildings and another house that appears to be undergoing renovations.

One of his neighbors, located less than a quarter-mile away, Bob Johnson, said there have been numerous burglaries and reported thefts in the area. Owner of Johnson Lumber, he said equipment has been stolen off his property in the past couple years.

"What can we do?" Johnson said. "Most of it is young fellas, and it's drug-connected. That's what we feel."

He said Salsbury's place has been burglarized before.

The incident remains under investigation, Gottardi said; the district attorney needs to review the case.

Erin Rhoda -- 474-9534

erhoda@centralmaine.com