Ryan Hayward has been identified by The Maine Wire's editor-in-chief as the man who allegedly drove a vehicle toward reporter Joe Sokol in Bangor, Maine, on Thursday morning.
Who is Ryan Hayward?
Ryan Hayward is from Machias, Maine. He was identified as the driver after Sokol was allegedly targeted while reporting outside Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center.
Joe Sokol, a reporter for The Maine Wire, was working near the treatment center when a confrontation involving a driver occurred. Video released by the outlet appears to show a vehicle making a U-turn before leaving the roadway and moving onto the grass near Sokol. The Maine Wire described the maneuver as an attempt to strike the reporter.
Sokol moved out of the vehicle’s path and was not injured. He also recorded the vehicle’s license plate. The Maine Wire identified it as a blue Jeep Compass with Maine registration 841-LZD, and said the information was provided to police.
Bangor police responded to the scene and are investigating. As of Thursday afternoon, authorities had not publicly announced an arrest or criminal charges.
Why did Ryan Hayward allegedly target Joe Sokol?
{{/usCountry}}Bangor police responded to the scene and are investigating. As of Thursday afternoon, authorities had not publicly announced an arrest or criminal charges.
Why did Ryan Hayward allegedly target Joe Sokol?
{{/usCountry}}The Maine Wire editor-in-chief Steve Robinson later identified the driver as Ryan Hayward.
"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 on X.
Robinson also said Hayward called him and gave him a "10 min phone interview that we immediately turned over to the DOJ."
Joe Sokol speaks out
Sokol later addressed the incident on Facebook, saying he believed the driver had tried to hit him.
"I just almost got murdered. All caught on tape," he said. "This is what unchecked violence looks like."
Providing details, he wrote, “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! The people the greeted ere friendly on the way in, but on the way out those faces graduated to curses and a middle finger. More than one of them almost wrecked their vehicle while yelling and pulling out.”
He added, "Then someone acted even more crazy and tried to take me out. 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. Their remedy was simple: I was the problem and I had get off the property. Trespassed."
Maine Wire calls for investigation
The Maine Wire has also raised questions about the conduct of employees at the treatment center. The outlet said it wants the public to help identify employees who it claims harassed Sokol and did not contact police after the alleged incident.
"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. Thank you for your attention to this matter," the outlet wrote on Facebook.