ROCKLAND, Maine — A 21-year-old Washington man arrested two months ago while under the influence of bath salts for using an infant as a shield to avoid arrest will serve no more than 90 days in jail under an agreement approved in court Wednesday, Feb. 29.
Tony G. Bartlett entered guilty pleas in Knox County Superior Court on charges of assaulting an officer, endangering the welfare of a child, refusing to submit to arrest, obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct.
The agreement approved by Justice Jeffrey Hjelm that had been reached between the district attorney’s office and defense was a deferred disposition. Under this arrangement, if Bartlett refrains from any additional criminal conduct and undergoes counseling over the next 12 months, the assault on an officer charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor assault charge. Under the agreement, Bartlett would be sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but 90 days suspended. The 90 days is the maximum he would serve and the defense would be able to argue for less time at the sentencing hearing next year.
If Bartlett violates the agreement, the judge would be able to impose any sentence allowed under the law.
Bartlett was arrested on Dec. 27 after Knox County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Sprague responded to a domestic disturbance call at a Washington home. When the officer arrived, he was let into the home and saw Bartlett holding his 6-month-old son in his arms. The officer said Bartlett became aggressive, blocked the officer’s path and told Sprague he could not question his girlfriend about the reason for the call to police, according to a police report filed in court.
Bartlett relented and allowed the girlfriend to go outside but Sprague remained in the doorway to keep an eye on the suspect. Bartlett then tried to slam the door on Sprague, striking the officer’s foot and leg, according to the report. The officer then informed Bartlett that he was under arrest and asked him to give the baby to someone else in the house.
Bartlett refused, the report states, and the officer said he felt that the suspect was using the baby as a shield. Bartlett’s father attempted to assist by trying to get the baby from his son but the suspect tightened his grip on the baby, causing the baby to scream.
Sprague tried to knee Tony Bartlett in the stomach but the suspect moved and was struck in the groin, the report says. This allowed Bartlett’s father to take the baby from his son.
Bartlett refused to submit to arrest and Sprague sprayed a burst of pepper spray in the suspect’s face but it did not work. The officer then used a Taser and three times shocked the suspect who eventually rolled onto his stomach to be handcuffed. One hand was cuffed when Bartlett resisted again and the officer administered another jolt, but by this time the wires to the probe were broken and Sprague had to reload with another cartridge and zap him again the police report states.
After another dose of pepper spray, the officer was able to get the cuffs on Bartlett but the suspect continued to resist and the man’s father helped the officer hold Bartlett down until another officer arrived.
Bartlett eventually was taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport where it was confirmed the suspect had taken the hallucinogenic synthetic drug bath salts, the police report states. The report also indicates that Bartlett apologized to the officer and said he needed help.
“Man?”
He is by definition, NOT a “man” if he uses an infant as a shield.
Absolutely disgusting.
He brings the word “coward” to a new low.
It’s amazing that he actually found somebody to mate with in the first place…..
I can’t imagine how that kid’s father must feel…
Um, he was the father. Or rather sperm donor, since no real father would use a baby as a shield.
I’m talking about Tony’s father…having to watch his grandson get used as a shield…and then to have to help a police officer hold down his own kid….clearly you’re the only one who didn’t understand what I was refering to
Do NOT misunderstand me on this, I am NOT defending him, but he was high, apparently beyond reason, and refused to let go of the baby, rather than actually shield himself with the kid. Maybe he thought he was actually defending the baby from perceived danger in his altered state. It was the officer’s “opinion” that he was using the baby as shield, but that doesn’t absolutely make it so. That said, someone in that state should not have had the child even in his presence!
The guy must have one heck of a lawyer…
Now, this boy needed a bail set at $500,000.00!! In addition, needs to plan a life in jail!
This case is past the bail stage, genius.
This is outrageous!
What a sick pup. I’d like to see him walking around, i’d give him a few choice words. What a coward.
And I think the kick to the groin by the officer was a well deserved action.
That and what ever happened to the Officers using their blackjack or their 4 cell mag light to calm the criminals down? Just asking….
This dbag gets no more than 90 days? Is the prosecuter just going for a quick one? This should have been a slam dunk for the max sentence. What’s going on in this state?
All I can say is its very scary! All I ever hear about is drugs and murder in this state.
Yes, Maine has gone to hell. Thanks to the liberals.
So you are saying that the DA is liberal, the Judge is liberal and the defendant is liberal?
Could be.
The DA and judge definitely aren’t liberals, but the DA doesn’t care about domestic violence in Maine. There have been articles in the past in which domestic violence advocates including New Hope for Women, have criticized DA Rushlau for totally disregarding domestic violence cases and letting perpetrators off easy. Perhaps next election we should choose a new DA.
At election time, you will hear how many “convictions” he got for DV. This is one!
If the liberal law makers would set mandatory minimums we would see this stuff less and less. Sell weed to a 40 year old, get a year. Sell weed to a 13 year old, get a year. Liberals don’t care about kids, they only care about keeping the childless freeloaders on welfare. What bothers me the most is where is Grampy? How about an uncle? I can’t believe no one in the family will stand up for this baby. I wonder if the mother has let Bartlett come back home?
Liberals don’t care about kids? Where do you get this stuff?
Right out of the headlines and court news of this liberal newspaper. Just view the charges and sentencing that pertain to kids. Rape a child get less than a year. Rape a woman and get three years. As I posted above, sell drugs to kids and the penalty is the same as selling to adults. Even if you are in a school zone. How about the parents that choose to live in poverty while abusing drugs and alcohol, living a life of crime, domestic violence. The kid has to stay with them and all the liberals do is throw more money at the parents. The liberals don’t care about kids because kids can’t vote. The worse a kids life is, the better chance they will vote liberal as adults.
Wow, those liberals really are bad. I can’t wait to hear your views of Jews and blacks.
I’m not sure what this has to do with political parties? Liberals usually “take care of people” Putting this guy out on the streets isn’t going to take care of him
How do you know the judge was a liberal?
How do you know he isn’t? Your defense of him seems to indicate such.
Yes and lets not forget our dirty_bomb, You must remember that one. She took him out with a widowmaker. I believe she is now living in a great apartment in-town Belfast with her girlfriend.
Taxpayers complain about “taking care” of these people so the judges are told to let them out!! People complain no matter what. I’d rather feed him behind bars than out and about.
The judge probably figures he won’t comply with the condtions of the plea bargin and will be spending a very long term in jail soon. He’s being given a very long rope to hang himself.
In the win/loss columns, this is a win for the DA. He got a conviction! Not necessarily a win for the rest of society.
There ‘s no punishment for criminals now, just a vacation with free food, laundry done for you so that you can set around and play cards!! Get the bad guys out there shoveling the walkways and repairing homes for the elderly. We could afford to fix the roads if they were put out there to do it.
I would like to see a program where those convicted could at least have the choice to work off some time in ways you mentioned.
That would go over well. Get the “bad guys” out there shoveling walkways and fixing up elderly homes? I’d rather feed them in jail then have them helping my mother with her repairs or shoveling. You can’t have it all. Same argument as “I make a ton of trash every year, but I don’t want it buried around here”.
A quick kick to the “twins” should be standard operating procedure when dealing with these bath salt using morons.
I ain’t stupid, that’s my first line of defense. Manly or not, someone wants to hurt me, I do whatever is needed. PERIOD.
Fighting isn’t cool. It doesn’t make anyone look impressive.
I know someone who did that and Maine DHS gave him custody of his daughter a few years later!
AND that is what is WRONG with this justice system. Something has to be done. The poor children that are involved.
What has to be done is that we need to elect a new DA to replace Rushlau, who disregards domestic violence as a joke.
Is it possible that a few years later the man was reformed and able to be a decent parent and that his daughter wanted to be with him?
Actually no within 6 weeks she was taken out of the home due to safety concerns
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A little more drug Free jail time with some real parenting classes and work study would do this young man some good. Once out a halfway home drug free would plus more work study and parenting classes. 3/4th of money made working should go to his child or children for child support! These young men are eager to reproduce and show off their offspring its time they become eager to pay for them. This would be an more ideal situation. I know that our system as it is today, it won’t be happening. Sadly.
90 days for this?? I hate these plea deals-HE WAS ENDANGERING HIS BABY’S LIFE!!! WTF??!!!
So elect a new DA when Rushlau’s term is up.
We’ll see this punk puke again
Must be the only one who sees the system giving this young man a chance to redeem himself. Folks, it may be your son or daughter in his place next time. Don’t think that can’t happen because probably his Dad thought the same thing.
I give him about 30 days after release and we’ll see his name in the newspaper again.
I believe that ANYONE convicted using drugs should automatically have their children removed from their home. Too many bad things happening these days.
We need to bring back Foster Homes. To many people use their children to obtain benefits they would not be entitled to as a single adult.
All I can say is Bath salts people. We have no idea the damage this stuff is causing.
Hate the act, call him names if you must. But know that could be anyone of us.
Only if we are stupid enough to take drugs.
Insightful
Look up the word, “Empathy”
I guess the system just does not care about babies. They have proved you can kill them and not get anything. This is a sick, sick world we live in. Never mind the assault on an officer. That is a real kick in the face for him as well. A misdemeanor???? Why do they even bother to “protect and serve” if they are going to make a mockery out of them. This guy needs to go away for a while. Next time the baby may not be so lucky. I guess thats what they are waiting for…..I sure hope the mother takes her and doesn’t let him see her again…..ever!
You can thank DA Geoffrey Rushlau for this slap on the wrist. Another example of Rushlau’s extremely weak stance on domestic violence.
I hope they keep him away from the baby.
All that & his sentence is so minute ? Must have connections. Well hopefully the brief time he is in jail he can be used as a shield by the other inmates. Sickening..
This punk is the worst type of person
Why is Maine so full of idiots? Every day there are more and more morons popping up in the news. Heaven help us!
All of you should be ashamed. Yes Tony KNOWS what he did wrong, But you do not KNOW Tony like I do, I grew UP with Tony. You don’t KNOW what really happened! Tony is owning up to his mistakes, Tony is doing well now. Tony IS lucky that he didn’t do something absolutely CRAZY like you hear about the other people on bathsalts.