© 2024 Maine Public | Registered 501(c)(3) EIN: 22-3171529
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scroll down to see all available streams.

Mother of Woman Shot by Police Files Notice of Lawsuit

Gabor Degre
/
Bangor Daily News
Jessica Fagre talks about her daughter, 18-year-old Ambroshia Fagre, who was fatally shot by police on Feb. 10.

The mother of an 18-year-old woman who was shot to death by police in February in Vassalboro plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the three officers who fired their weapons.

Jessica Fagre filed a notice of claim against the officers, as well as the Vassalboro Police Department, the town of Vassalboro, Kennebec County and Col. Robert A. Williams, the head of the Maine State Police.

Her daughter, Ambroshia “Amber” Fagre, 18, of Oakland was fatally wounded along with Kadhar Bailey, 25, of Gardiner on Feb. 10 on Arnold Road. Bailey was driving the truck in which Fagre was a passenger and reportedly had rammed a police cruiser moments before the shooting.

Maine State Police Lt. Scott Ireland, Trooper Jeff Parks and Vassalboro police Chief Mark Brown all fired their weapons.

Jessica Fagre said earlier this year that her daughter was an innocent bystander.

“At the time, the aforementioned officers shot and killed Ms. Fagre she was not an imminent threat to any of the aforementioned officers, or any other person, nor had Ms. Farge committed a serious crime [nor was she] trying to flee or escape,” states the wrongful death lawsuit notice, mailed Thursday by Bangor attorney Hunter Tzovarras to all three officers, the departments they work for, and Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, which also responded to the scene.

Jessica Fagre was appointed the personal representative for her daughter’s estate by a Kennebec County Probate Court judge.

The notice claims the agencies “had inadequate policies and training for the use of deadly force that directly caused the claimant’s death,” and demands $500,000 in damages.

The goal of the lawsuit is to get law enforcement to change its policies, Fagre said.

“I want it so hopefully cops will learn not to use so much force on people,” she said. “But from what I’m seeing recently that is not happening and that is the sad thing.”

None of the involved law enforcement agencies or the Maine attorney general’s office have released details  surrounding the deaths of Fagre and Bailey.

Police have said that officers were responding to a reported robbery and that Bailey rammed a police cruiser.

The Maine attorney general’s office opened an investigation into the shootings, which is standard practice whenever a law enforcement officer uses deadly force. Since 1990, the attorney general has never ruled a fatal shooting by a law enforcement officer unjustified.

Williams, of the Maine State Police, said Friday that he was not aware of the notice when asked for comment. Officials from the other agencies did not respond to messages.

This story appears through a media sharing agreement with Bangor Daily News.