EXETER — A 23-year-old man led deputies on a high-speed chase and fell through pond ice while trying to escape law enforcement on March 29 at about 12:30 p.m., according to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
Shawn Stewart of Parkman was located by a deputy at a local business in Exeter.
Stewart, who had eight sets of bail conditions prohibiting him from possessing firearms or dangerous weapons, denied having any weapons when confronted.
However, during the encounter, Stewart put his vehicle in reverse with the door open and the deputy partially inside, and fled the scene at a high rate of speed.
After losing sight of Stewart during the chase, deputies later received information that he might be at a residence on Line Road in Dexter.
Upon arriving, Stewart fled into the woods, prompting a search by deputies and a Maine State Police K-9 unit.
They located a firearm in a garage, alongside Stewart’s vehicle, and discovered he had been in contact with someone he was barred from seeing.
Despite tracking Stewart to a pond and setting up a perimeter, deputies refrained from crossing due to unsafe ice conditions.
The search continued on foot around the pond where deputies observed signs Stewart had fallen through the ice but managed to get out.
The Maine Warden Service Dive Team confirmed Stewart was not in the pond after conducting a water search.
The search resumed near the residence on Line Road, where Stewart was found hiding under blankets in a camp he had broken into.
It appeared Stewart had burglarized multiple camps in the area, which will be investigated by the Dexter Police Department.
Stewart received medical clearance from EMS before being transported to the Penobscot County Jail.
He faces charges including felony violation of condition of release, reckless conduct, eluding an officer, misdemeanor resisting arrest, criminal speed, and falsifying physical evidence.
