FAIRFIELD, Maine — A local man is dead after he set fire to the home of his estranged wife before fatally stabbing himself in front of police.
Terry Whitney, 63, had gone to his estranged wife’s home at 323 Norridgewock Road shortly after midnight, cut the power to the house and then and set fire to two vehicles and the house while she still was inside, Fairfield police Officer Casey Dugas said Sunday afternoon.
“He actually was prohibited from being there, along with having any contact with her,” Dugas said. He said that a protection order was in place as well as bail conditions from his Oct. 31 arrest on domestic violence assault and criminal mischief charges.
Whitney’s wife called 911. She was able to escape the house that they formerly shared and was not injured, Dugas said.
Matters quickly took a turn for the worse.
“Officer [Jordan] Brooks was the first to arrive and found [Whitney] in the front yard. Whitney ran out back and Officer Brooks pursued him,” Dugas said.
“He was in possession of a propane torch, which Officer Brooks ordered him to drop. He refused to drop it and at that point, Officer Brooks deployed his Taser,” Dugas said.
The Taser, however, did not have an effect on Whitney, who then “pulled out a knife and started to injure himself with it.”
Sgt. Matt Wilcox then arrived and the two officers were able to disarm Whitney, Dugas said.
Whitney was taken by ambulance to MaineGeneral’s Thayer hospital in Waterville.
“They were not able to save him,” Dugas said.
Dugas said that police were not yet releasing information about the nature and extent of his wounds.
He said that the state fire marshal’s office is assisting Fairfield police with the investigation and did not know whether an accelerant was used.
Dugas said that police have not yet determined if alcohol or drugs played a role in the incident.
It was not immediately clear Sunday whether an autopsy would be performed.