Ryan Hayward: Who is the suspect accused of attacking Maine reporter Joe Sokol?
Bangor Police Investigate After Reporter Says Vehicle Was Driven Toward Him
Bharatmorning.com – A Maine reporter says he narrowly avoided being hit by a vehicle while working outside the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center on Thursday morning, prompting a police investigation into the encounter.
Joe Sokol, who reports for The Maine Wire, was at the location when he became involved in a confrontation with a driver. Footage shared by the outlet appears to show a vehicle turn around, leave the roadway and travel across a grassy area in Sokol’s direction. The outlet characterized the movement as an effort to hit him.
Sokol stepped away from the approaching vehicle and was not physically hurt. He was able to document the vehicle’s registration before it left the area. The vehicle was identified as a blue Jeep Compass carrying Maine plate 841-LZD, and the details were given to Bangor police.
Driver Identified by Editor
Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of The Maine Wire, later named Ryan Hayward of Machias, Maine, as the person he said had been driving the Jeep. Police had responded at the scene, but by Thursday afternoon had not announced an arrest or publicly filed criminal charges.
Robinson said Hayward owned the vehicle and contacted him by phone after the incident. In a post on X, Robinson said the caller acknowledged driving toward Sokol and said he knew the reporter’s work and had targeted him over political views.
“Ryan Hayward is the owner of the vehicle as well as the phone number that called me and admitted to driving the vehicle at Joe. He also admitted that he was extremely familiar with Joe, watched all of his content, and targeted him because of his politics,” Robinson wrote.
Robinson also said the call lasted about 10 minutes and that the recording or information from it was promptly provided to the Department of Justice.
The claims have not been publicly confirmed through criminal charges, and the Bangor Police Department’s investigation was ongoing as of Thursday afternoon. An investigation can involve reviewing video, speaking with witnesses and assessing whether evidence supports any potential offense.
Sokol Describes a Frightening Encounter
In a Facebook post after the incident, Sokol said he believed the driver intentionally tried to strike him. He said the episode was captured on video and described it as a stark example of escalating hostility.
“I just almost got murdered. All caught on tape,” he wrote. “This is what unchecked violence looks like.”
Sokol said he had been standing across the street from the treatment center and observing arriving and departing vehicles. He described interactions he said he had with staff members and people leaving the facility, saying that some reactions became increasingly hostile as vehicles exited.
“I stood outside the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center and watched the staff greet every car...pointing and sneering at me. I was across the street!” Sokol wrote.
He said some people he encountered on the way into the center were friendly, while others leaving the area allegedly shouted, made rude gestures or became distracted while driving. Sokol said the incident involving the Jeep followed those exchanges.
After moving out of the vehicle’s path, Sokol said he approached the facility and asked employees about the person he believed had attempted to hit him. He said he felt staff did not treat the matter with sufficient concern and that he was told to leave the property.
“Then someone acted even more crazy and tried to take me out,” Sokol wrote. “Minutes after the attempted murder I walked across the street at the cold hearted staff....I asked about the patient who had just tried to kill me ....they couldn't care.”
Questions Raised About Treatment Center Staff
The Maine Wire also criticized the conduct of employees at the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center. It called for public assistance in identifying workers whom it alleged had harassed Sokol and failed to notify police after the reported confrontation.
“We have identified the driver who attempted to murder a Maine Wire reporter this morning, but we'd like the public's help in identifying the methadone clinic employees who -- rather than call the cops -- harassed our reporter and appear to be complicit in covering up a crime,” the outlet wrote on Facebook.
Those statements represent allegations by Sokol and The Maine Wire. The available information did not indicate that treatment center employees had been charged with wrongdoing or that authorities had publicly determined whether any staff member failed to take an appropriate action.
The case draws attention to the risks journalists can face while reporting in public spaces, particularly when coverage touches on contentious political or community issues. A heated disagreement, however, does not establish criminal intent on its own; investigators typically examine the full circumstances, including video, vehicle movements, witness accounts and any communications connected to the event.
For now, the central questions remain with Bangor police: what occurred during the confrontation, whether the driver’s actions were intentional, and whether the evidence warrants criminal charges. Sokol was unharmed, but the incident has fueled calls for accountability as the investigation continues.
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