SURRY, Maine — A longtime officer with the Maine State Police, who over the course of his 25-year career rose through the ranks from patrol trooper to head of the agency’s northern criminal investigation unit, received his final salute Monday as a state police lieutenant.
About three dozen law enforcement officers, most of them with the Maine State Police, and others gathered Monday afternoon along Newbury Neck Road to salute Lt. Christopher Coleman as he drove by with his family on his way home. About two dozen police cruisers with their lights flashing were parked along the west side of the road facing north, each with a police officer standing at attention and saluting next to it as Coleman drove by.
Officers with the Maine Forest Service, Maine Marine Patrol and Hancock County Sheriff’s Department also took part in the event.
A clearly emotional Coleman stopped and got out of his car after he drove past the line of cruisers to greet the people who took part in the salute, including some Maine State Police retirees. He walked back along the road, stopping to shake hands or give a hug to friends and colleagues as he made his way up the line.
“I was fine until I saw you guys,” Coleman said, acknowledging the teary moment.
Lt. Rod Charette, commander of Maine State Police Troop J, said Monday that the purpose of the salute was to honor a highly-respected officer who has “done very well” in the numerous positions and duties he has held in the statewide police agency.
“It’s a loss for our agency,” Charette said. “Chris has had 25 years of dedicated service. He’s a top-notch guy.”
Coleman has held 11 different positions in the Maine State Police since he began as a patrol trooper in Troop J in 1990. He has been a detective, a road sergeant in troops C and E, a sergeant in both the criminal investigations and communications divisions, a member and then commander of the state police tactical team, and a supervisor at the Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.
In the past eight years, he has served as lieutenant of Troop J, overseeing patrol troopers in Hancock and Washington counties, and then as supervising lieutenant of the state police northern major crimes unit.
Coleman may be leaving the only police agency he has ever worked for, but he is not retiring from police work. On Oct. 3, he is expected to start work in his next position, as chief of the Ellsworth Police Department.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Coleman spoke briefly with the media before getting back in his car Monday afternoon. Being surprised with the salute “means a great deal” to him, he said.
“You’re part of a big family,” Coleman said. “As much as I’m excited about where I’m going, I’m also going to miss where I’ve been. These are great people. It really means a lot to be a part of them for so many years.”
