A Rhode Island man who claimed to have a bomb on his truck at a Canadian border crossing in Houlton didn’t have any explosives.
Tony Holford, 42, of Providence, Rhode Island, has been charged with aggravated reckless conduct, terrorizing and failure to stop, according to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
A state trooper attempted to pull over Holford while he drove north on Interstate 95 in Houlton about 10:39 a.m. Monday, but he refused to stop, police said earlier this week.
The trooper then observed a sign on the truck claiming Holford had an explosive device.
Holford eventually came to a stop between the U.S. and Canadian ports of entry, where he refused to comply with orders to get out of his vehicle.
Maine State Police Cpl. Eric Paquette shot at Holford when he began driving toward the Canadian side of the border, according to police. Holford wasn’t injured and surrendered.
He was taken to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.
Moss said Wednesday morning that investigators determined Holford didn’t have a bomb in his vehicle.
Holford was scheduled to make his first court appearance at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The Maine attorney general’s office is reviewing the case, as is standard procedure in all officer-involved shootings in the state.
