Matt Byrne

Portland Press Herald

Matt Byrne has covered crime and public safety for the Press Herald since 2016. It is his second beat since being hired at the Press Herald in late 2012, when he left the Boston Globe's suburban news bureau. Matt grew up outside Philadelphia, moved to Boston to attend Emerson College and now loves living in Maine. When he is not nerding out on court documents or listening to a police scanner, Matt loves to work on old cars, make things out of metal and try new craft beers. Offers to drive your race car, or news tips, are always welcome.

Latest

Published
September 14, 2020

Cumberland County commissioners reject plea to open Cross arena to shelter homeless

Despite Portland city councilors’ request for help addressing the lack of resources for the city’s homeless, the commissioners sided with arena trustees and rejected the plan.
Published
September 9, 2020

Portland will collect more data on police stops, won’t expand citizen oversight

City Manager Jon Jennings says Portland is partnering with academic institutions to assess racial disparities, but he rejects a proposal to have two citizens join an internal police panel assessing use-of-force incidents.
Published
September 8, 2020

Woman struck, killed by Downeaster train in Portland

A 43-year-old homeless woman who was camping out near Morrill’s Corner was hit shortly after midnight Tuesday.
Published
September 8, 2020

Police say protester in Portland threatened man with gun

A man who was protesting police brutality Monday showed a handgun in a threatening manner to a motorcyclist stopped at an intersection, police say, and was charged with criminal threatening.
Published
September 4, 2020

Portland leaders call for peaceful demonstration, ask opponents to leave guns at home

Fearing counter-protests and violent confrontation at a planned Black Lives Matter demonstration Saturday, Portland police are asking everyone to remain peaceful and leave weapons at home.
Published
September 1, 2020

Maine man pleads guilty to federal domestic violence charges

Nelson Jean Dion of Kittery crossed the Maine-New Hampshire border in 2016 to harass a girlfriend who eventually killed herself, prosecutors say.
Published
August 24, 2020

More cities want police oversight boards, but Portland’s is failing, members say

The Police Citizen Review Subcommittee is working to come up with options for reform and get public support.
Published
August 19, 2020

Cement truck overturns in South Portland, injuring driver, shutting access ramp

The off-ramp that is blocked leads from the South Portland Maine Turnpike extension to Broadway.
Published
August 17, 2020

Portland police, firefighters rescue suicidal man from burning shed

Police spent more than 2 hours negotiating with a man suffering a mental health crisis on Parris Street on Friday night before they rescued him from a burning shed.
Published
August 12, 2020

Minor injuries reported in 8-car pileup that shuts down I-295 lanes

No one was seriously injured in the chain reaction crash, which was triggered when traffic slowed near a state trooper who was investigating a hit-and-run accident on the highway in Falmouth.