Following a home invasion, I had to run from my home because my handgun was pawned and I was defenseless. A month later, one of the two perpetrators was arrested and behind bars for stabbing a man in Portland, Maine 97 times. I came back to the area to repair the damage to my home, such as, storm windows removed, locks had to be re-pinned because they stole my spare keys from the garage. This was August, 2010. My room was in back of the lobby, near the desk.
I booked a room at a Portland hotel for two nights. The first night, someone tried to force open the door to my room. I called the Portland PD, they came immediately, were very kind and professional, told me to call again for any reason.
I still felt jittery, so I put the portable fridge in front of the door. Next morning, around 7:30 AM, I was on my way out when it occurred to me whoever tried to force the door could be a guest in the hotel. I called the Portland PD again and asked if they would please escort me to my car. At the time, the place was booked solid, and I could not park at the hotel.
The dispatcher said yes, and stayed on the phone until the police were near enough, then we hung up. As I gathered my computer and my purse (I'm female) someone suddenly kicked the door down in my face. Good thing the refrigerator was in the way or it would have fallen right on top of me. I screamed, then yelled for him to identify himself, repeatedly, as the door was coming down, moulding, jamb, latch, and all. After he kicked it down, I could see that he was absolutely not a police officer. He was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket; his hair was long and curly on top, short at the sides, and obviously dyed black; stubble on his face, likewise dyed, and the skin in between. Not a Portland officer.
He then grabbed me bodily and threw me out on the sidewalk.
I picked myself up and walked to my car, and drove to the Portland PD to file a report. I was seen by the Supervisor, Sgt. McLure (not sure of spelling). He asked me if "I" owned a firearm. I told him about the handgun, and that I had bought a new shotgun a few days before this so that I could go home. He asked me where it was, and I told him, the trunk of my car, because I could not leave it at home in this situation. He demanded that I give him the keys to my car, and took my shotgun.
He said he didn't believe women should use guns. I told him I was police trained, with CWPs for many years, and hunting licenses. He would not give it back. Told me to come back in a few days. Thus I had no choice but to stay at a Safe Haven Unit at a women's homeless shelter. Went back in a few days, and was told "someone called and said I had a dangerous drug in my purse." Absolutely unsubstantiated filthy lie. The other perpetrator of the home invasion was living right next door to my home; I assumed he was the one who called it in, and might have hired a thug to assault me at the hotel.
I stayed at the Safe Haven for most of the next year and a half, with many attempts to get my shotgun back to no avail.
I finally went home, unarmed, in Sept., 2011, with the other perpetrator living right next door to my home. To this day, I have not been able to get my shotgun back. Now they're saying I had a felony drug conviction back in 1969. Absolutely false. I have never been convicted of any drug violation, nor felony of any kind. A lawyer has been helping me, but so far has gotten nowhere. They provided me with a reference # and a phone # for the sheriff in another state. I called, and the sheriff said there is no such number, nor do they have anything on me whatsover. Then the Portland PD said "I" have to provide proof that there is "nothing." What is going on with the Portland PD? Is there enough for a class action suit?
I booked a room at a Portland hotel for two nights. The first night, someone tried to force open the door to my room. I called the Portland PD, they came immediately, were very kind and professional, told me to call again for any reason.
I still felt jittery, so I put the portable fridge in front of the door. Next morning, around 7:30 AM, I was on my way out when it occurred to me whoever tried to force the door could be a guest in the hotel. I called the Portland PD again and asked if they would please escort me to my car. At the time, the place was booked solid, and I could not park at the hotel.
The dispatcher said yes, and stayed on the phone until the police were near enough, then we hung up. As I gathered my computer and my purse (I'm female) someone suddenly kicked the door down in my face. Good thing the refrigerator was in the way or it would have fallen right on top of me. I screamed, then yelled for him to identify himself, repeatedly, as the door was coming down, moulding, jamb, latch, and all. After he kicked it down, I could see that he was absolutely not a police officer. He was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket; his hair was long and curly on top, short at the sides, and obviously dyed black; stubble on his face, likewise dyed, and the skin in between. Not a Portland officer.
He then grabbed me bodily and threw me out on the sidewalk.
I picked myself up and walked to my car, and drove to the Portland PD to file a report. I was seen by the Supervisor, Sgt. McLure (not sure of spelling). He asked me if "I" owned a firearm. I told him about the handgun, and that I had bought a new shotgun a few days before this so that I could go home. He asked me where it was, and I told him, the trunk of my car, because I could not leave it at home in this situation. He demanded that I give him the keys to my car, and took my shotgun.
He said he didn't believe women should use guns. I told him I was police trained, with CWPs for many years, and hunting licenses. He would not give it back. Told me to come back in a few days. Thus I had no choice but to stay at a Safe Haven Unit at a women's homeless shelter. Went back in a few days, and was told "someone called and said I had a dangerous drug in my purse." Absolutely unsubstantiated filthy lie. The other perpetrator of the home invasion was living right next door to my home; I assumed he was the one who called it in, and might have hired a thug to assault me at the hotel.
I stayed at the Safe Haven for most of the next year and a half, with many attempts to get my shotgun back to no avail.
I finally went home, unarmed, in Sept., 2011, with the other perpetrator living right next door to my home. To this day, I have not been able to get my shotgun back. Now they're saying I had a felony drug conviction back in 1969. Absolutely false. I have never been convicted of any drug violation, nor felony of any kind. A lawyer has been helping me, but so far has gotten nowhere. They provided me with a reference # and a phone # for the sheriff in another state. I called, and the sheriff said there is no such number, nor do they have anything on me whatsover. Then the Portland PD said "I" have to provide proof that there is "nothing." What is going on with the Portland PD? Is there enough for a class action suit?