Former Scarborough Resident Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Officer

PORTLAND, Maine: A former Scarborough resident was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for assaulting a federal officer.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Garrett McDonald, 28, to two years of probation. McDonald pleaded guilty on October 22, 2024.

According to court records, on August 6, 2023, an airline crew at the Portland International Jetport requested that law enforcement remove McDonald from a flight due to his behavior. A Portland police officer and a security officer with the Federal Air Marshal Service escorted McDonald from the plane. McDonald began yelling and arguing about being removed from the flight. Once inside the exit port, McDonald pushed one officer and then resisted the officer’s efforts to restrain him. The officers secured a handcuff on McDonald’s left wrist but were unable to secure a handcuff on his right wrist. McDonald freed his right arm from underneath his person and struck the federal officer with his fist.

The FBI, Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Portland Police Department investigated the case.