A newly hired Southwest Harbor officer sued for assault no longer works there
Days after his hire was announced, a former Machias police officer who had been accused of assaulting and groping women is no longer working for the Southwest Harbor police department.
A decade ago, Richard Strout was sued by three women who claimed he assaulted and groped them while placing them under arrest. He also sued the town of Machias in 2012, alleging he had been terminated in retaliation for being a whistleblower. He later received a $50,000 settlement with the town of Machias.
The Southwest Harbor Police Department said Friday morning on its Facebook page that Strout no longer works for the town. The department had announced the hiring on Facebook just days earlier, prompting a torrent of criticism online and in direct feedback to town officials.
“Mr. Strout is no longer employed by the Southwest Harbor Police Dept.” Chief John Hall wrote Friday morning on the department’s Facebook page. “I am writing to publicly apologize to the residents of Southwest Harbor and the greater community for damaging your trust in this department. This was never my intention.”
It was not clear Friday morning if Strout resigned over the furor of his hiring, which was reported Wednesday by the Bangor Daily News, or if Hall decided Strout had to go.
Hall did not immediately respond to a voicemail message Friday.
This story will be updated.