Sanford police investigating reported assault as video spreads online
The Sanford Police Department confirmed Monday that it is investigating a violent confrontation between a man and a group of juveniles after a video of the dispute began to spread on social media.
Police said in a news release that officers responded to Front Street near Number One Pond on Thursday in response to reports of an assault.
The conflict apparently began when the juveniles failed to stop their bicycles at a stop sign and entered the road, causing the man to suddenly brake his vehicle, police say.
The man got out and began to argue with the juveniles, then allegedly threw one of their bikes into the nearby pond. At that point, the encounter turned physical, police say.
The video, which was originally uploaded to TikTok before it spread to Facebook groups, shows three juveniles punching and kicking the man as he attempts to raise himself off the ground. Deputy Police Chief Matthew Gagne confirmed Monday that the video was of the incident, though he noted it only showed a portion of the event.
Investigators believe the incident was isolated and have spoken with the man, the juveniles and witnesses at the scene.
Police did not say whether anyone has been charged in connection with the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
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Abigail is a community reporter for Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Sanford, and Wells. She recently moved up to Maine from Connecticut after getting her bachelor’s degree in English/Journalism at the University. More by Abigail Driscoll
