Bangor, Maine— Reported by WABI, a man in Bangor, Maine, was taken into custody Wednesday after a bizarre incident involving him climbing onto a homeowner’s roof and refusing to come down.
According to Bangor Police, the situation unfolded early in the morning on 14th Street. The homeowner reported hearing noises on their roof around 4 a.m. Upon investigating, she and her boyfriend discovered a ladder against their home and a stranger on their roof, later identified as 39-year-old Stephen Nason.
When confronted, Nason reportedly yelled down to the residents that he was attempting to retrieve drugs from their chimney. Despite the homeowner not recognizing Nason, the situation quickly escalated. Bangor police and firefighters, along with crisis negotiators, arrived on the scene to try to safely resolve the situation.
As firefighters placed a rescue basket near the roof to provide water and assist Nason safely down, he unexpectedly jumped into the basket, grabbed an ax stored within, and leaped back onto the roof. He then began chopping holes into the roof, causing significant damage.
“He jumped from our roof to the basket, retrieved the ax, and then proceeded to chop holes in our roof,” said resident Peter Rairdon.
Bangor Fire Chief Geoffrey Low explained that the rescue basket was part of an effort to treat Nason with dignity and respect as a person experiencing a crisis. However, the unexpected turn of events was not something responders typically anticipate.
“We wouldn’t have expected that. It’s nothing we would pre-plan. We certainly don’t train for that. It happened. It was an unexpected consequence of trying to do something good for him,” Chief Low stated.
Sgt. Jason McAmbley of the Bangor Police described the lengthy standoff as unusual but emphasized that handling people in crisis is a regular part of police work.
“There is help for everyone out there, if they are willing to accept it. People can make bad decisions. We can’t make them accept assistance if they don’t want it,” McAmbley said.
The incident concluded around 11:30 a.m. when Nason surrendered and was taken into custody. He was transported to a local hospital for both physical and mental health evaluations.
Nason now faces charges including aggravated criminal mischief, creating a police standoff, and violating probation. He remains at Penobscot County Jail awaiting his first court appearance.
