Victim says community needs to do more in addressing crime, mental health needs and homelessness in the downtown area
Although his story has been shared in several other media outlets over the past 48 hours, Joshua Wolfe contacted the Biddeford Gazette in hopes of ending rumors and speculation about a shooting that happened in Biddeford on Mother’s Day.
Wolfe, 32, was shot in the leg by someone he did not know outside of his Elm Street office. He was treated and released from the hospital that same afternoon.
Police arrested Derick Dorais, 34, of Elm Street, Biddeford, shortly after the shooting, said Biddeford Police Chief JoAnne Fisk
Fisk said that Dorais has been charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, a Class C felony and punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Dorais was unable to make bail, said Fisk. He was taken to the York County Jail in Alfred, where he remains as of press time.
Because of the intense media coverage, Wolfe says that too many people are reacting without understanding what actually happened. He says that he been “bothered” by some of the commentary he has seen on Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites.
Wolfe said people need to understand the “randomness” of the attack, and he wants the city to address the issues of rising crime, lack of mental health and substance abuse services and homelessness.
“If this happened to me in broad daylight it could happen to anyone,” Wolfe stressed during a Tuesday afternoon interview. “Imagine somebody leaving a downtown restaurant or attending the River Jam Festival and boom, you get shot. It’s not okay. People should not have to live in fear.”
A 2010 graduate of Thornton Academy, Wolf is a successful entrepreneur who works as a business consultant and stockbroker.
Now – just 51 hours after the incident — Wolfe is trying to figure out the best ways to build community awareness and advocacy for people suffering from addiction or mental health issues.
As he has done with other media outlets, Wolfe shared video footage of the incident that was recorded on security cameras near his Elm Street office, directly across from Rent-A-Center.
If this happened to me in broad daylight
— Joshua Wolfe
it could happen to anyone
In the video footage, Wolfe can be seen turning into the driveway near his office while Dorais and another man were walking along the sidewalk. According to Wolfe, Dorais became upset because he thought that Wolfe had somehow disrespected his friend.
The video shows that Dorais walked by and then returned to the driveway just a few minutes later.
Wolfe walked out of his of his office and asked Dorais to leave his property, pointing to security cameras. The video shows Dorais holding both a cellphone and small handgun. Allegedly, Dorais said he was going to shoot Wolfe and post it on social media.
“I didn’t know what he was going to do,” Wolfe said. “For all I know he was going to execute me inside my office.”
Wolfe was able to overcome Dorais in a scuffle, but Dorais allegedly refused to surrender his gun. During the scuffle, the gun was fired.
Wolfe says he is still “processing” the incident, but now wants to turn a bad event into “something good for the community.”
Wolfe says he is considering working with other downtown business owners and approaching the Biddeford City Council about growing “concerns in the downtown area.”
Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman said he looks forward to meeting with Wolfe and helping him in his quest for increased public awareness about the city’s need to provide services.
“I really commend him,” Grohman said Tuesday afternoon. “He’s taking what could have been a much worse incident and turning it around to increase public awareness. That’s a really good thing, and I look forward to meeting with him if he wants.”
Editor’s Note: In a previous version of this story, Wolfe was identified as Jason Wolfe. His name is actually Joshua Wolfe. It was my error, and I apologize for the mistake.
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