Armed Woman Forces Closure Of Penobscot Narrows Bridge [UPDATE]

A woman with a firearm forced the temporary closure of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge today until the incident could be contained.

Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says police began receiving calls at about 10:30 this morning of a woman with a gun on the bridge. Witnesses say the woman walked across the bridge from the Prospect side and was sitting on the bridge railing on the Verona Island side.

Troopers, deputies, and Bucksport Police converged on the bridge and shut it down to traffic, as police communicated with the woman using a PA system. Finally, the woman laid down her firearm and was taken into custody at around 11:15. The bridge was shut down for about 20 minutes.

The woman was not charged and was taken to a Bangor hospital for evaluation. Her name has not been released.