Sgt. Aaron Skolfield responds to questioning, Jan. 25, 2024, in Augusta, Maine, during a hearing of the independent commission investigating the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Skolfield, a Maine sergeant whose actions prior to the Lewiston mass shooting were criticized by an investigatory panel, has pulled papers to run for sheriff. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
During the hearing, Skolfield described himself as "just a simple street cop" who responded to Card's home in September. He said that Card "wouldn't come out, wouldn't talk, wouldn't communicate."
However, the Lewiston commission's report stated that Skolfield "made only limited attempts to accomplish a ‘face-to-face’ meeting with Mr. Card." The report also stated that Skolfield "failed to consult the agency’s records concerning a previous complaint about Mr. Card" and "failed to follow up on leads to determine how to contact Mr. Card," among other criticisms.
The filing with the state about Skolfield's bid for county sheriff contains only limited information. It states that he registered on Feb. 12, a couple of weeks after testifying before the Lewiston commission. It also says he has appointed a treasurer and is using traditional campaign financing. The election is this year.
Skolfield's testimony in January came during one of several public sessions held by the commission. He and other law enforcement officials expressed frustration with implementing the state's yellow flag law during the sessions.
The commission is expected to provide a full report of its findings this summer.
Card, an Army reservist, was found dead by suicide after a two-day search following the shootings. He had been well known to law enforcement before the killings, and the extent to which the shootings could have been prevented has been an intense source of scrutiny in the months since.
In May, relatives warned police that Card had grown paranoid, and they expressed concern about his access to guns. Card was hospitalized in a psychiatric unit for two weeks in July after shoving a fellow reservist and locking himself in a motel room.
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In August, the Army barred Card from handling weapons while on duty and declared him nondeployable. In September, a fellow reservist texted an Army supervisor about his growing concerns about Card, saying, "I believe he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting."
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