BAR HARBOR, Maine — In comic books about Batman, the caped crusader cooperates with police officials to stop villains who commit crimes or make threats.
In Bar Harbor, there is a self-styled proxy Batman who does not have a great relationship with local police. On Sunday, that relationship took a turn for the worse when Christopher Schwartz, also known as Bar Harbor Batman, posted a comment on his hero persona Facebook page that he says was meant as an April Fools’ joke for the enjoyment of his 1,200 or so fans.
The comment got Schwartz arrested on a charge of terrorizing.
“I demand payment of 1 million dollars or I will blow up the hospital,” Schwartz posted on the site. “Once the funds are secured, private message me for further instruction.”
The message was still posted on the Bar Harbor Batman Facebook page Monday afternoon.
Schwartz, 35, admits that not everyone shares his sense of humor and claims the comment was a combination of two movie quotes. In subsequent posts on the Facebook page, where he describes himself as an entertainer, Schwartz apologized but said his alter-ego shtick is satire and should not be construed as genuine.
“None of this is real and should NOT in anyway be taken as such!” he wrote.
In an email sent Monday morning to the Bangor Daily News, Schwartz said that when police showed up at his door Sunday afternoon, he tried to explain and offered to remove the post and issue a public apology. Instead, he was arrested and taken to Hancock County Jail in Ellsworth.
“It was a demoralizing and humiliating experience,” Schwartz wrote. “I feel that my civil liberties have been violated.”
Schwartz bailed out of Hancock County Jail on Sunday afternoon on $1,000 unsecured bail, according to jail officials.
Subsequent attempts Monday to contact Schwartz were unsuccessful.
Officer Thom Tardiff of the Bar Harbor Police Department said Monday that police saw the post early Sunday afternoon and went to talk to Schwartz, who lives two blocks away from Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor. Schwartz told police during the conversation that he was just kidding around, but then asked if they had brought the money he had demanded, according to the officer.
“That’s when I took it a little more seriously,” Tardiff said.
Tardiff said the fact that Schwartz lives close to MDI Hospital made the threat seem more plausible. He said hospital staff were notified of the threat when police saw it posted on Schwartz’ public Facebook page.
Tardiff said such threats can turn out to be genuine and that police have to investigate them and take them seriously.
“In the era we live in, you can’t take them lightly,” he said.
The officer said he has asked Schwartz to remove the offending comment from Schwartz’s Facebook page and may do so again.
“I told him to take it down,” Tardiff said. “Obviously, he hasn’t.”
The incident will be reviewed by the Hancock County District Attorney’s office to determine whether the terrorizing charge formally will be filed in court, he said.
Sunday’s incident was not the first time police have dealt with Schwartz, who has been known to turn up in costume at some of Bar Harbor’s bars, especially in the summer. Schwartz sometimes carries a portable music player, or boombox, with him to play music that he dances to while in costume.
Last August, Schwartz was warned by police about playing his boombox too loud after he got dressed as Batman and used it on Cottage Street after bar closing time. Then last October, on a Sunday afternoon, Schwartz again got into costume and cranked up his boombox, this time outside the police station. He received a warning in that incident as well.
Bar Harbor has an amplified music ordinance that restricts when amplified music, either live or prerecorded, can be played in public.
Tardiff said that aside from the two boombox incidents and Sunday’s Facebook comment, the local police department has not had other reportable incidents with Schwartz.
Follow BDN reporter Bill Trotter on Twitter at @billtrotter.
waste of time, I’m sure there are other people to chase.
May the “Schwartz” be with you Batman!
If this was a “Stupid” contest, Bar Harbor PD won it hands down.
Waste of time?? What if he had blown up the hospital and they had ignored his post? Would you have thought it was a waste of thime then?
If your going to post some thing as vague satire, you need to point it out BEFORE the statement. Sheesh! Yeah wait till the cops show up before you say “oh I thought it was a joke”.
There are certain words we all must avoid using in this electronic age.
Bomb
Murder
Kill
Execute
Do not post these words in a plausible sentence. There are digital programs out there that are “sniffing” for these words with a location or person. Kids these days want to push the laws of respect. While I dont condone it I really ask them not to try it. These actions are wrong, its like pulling a fire alarm and expecting people to not be upset by the action of wanting to see what would happen.
This was Posted on my Personal Facebook Page. Directed only at my Then 1200 Fans. Only those who “Like” Bar Harbor Batman could see it. In no way shape or form were the real authorities contacted in any way. Do we really have to live in fear and be continually wondering if an off hand remark clearly meant as a joke can be taken to such extremes. I am more upset with the Idea that I might have actually cause someone to think That I would ever Do anything Like this. People who know me, know I’m a kind hearted person that goes out of my way to help frineds and neighbors
Not so. I can view your page and I am not a fan.
and if it wasn’t for this article, you probably wouldn’t have looked at his facebook page — would you have? His fans saw the post, they know the site is satire, not real
Not so, people “share” other people’s posts all the time so friends of friends of friends….. can see it.
The problem is that even though your comment was directed to only your 1200 friends the NSA does monitor the entire Internet for content that could be considered dangerous. In addition there is an organization of citizens that work with the FBI called Infragard (Talk about RLSH) who report any possible threats they see to key infrastructure which probably includes hospitals. Good luck to you though.
Sad…..To much time alone in the Bat Cave.
Future episode of Big Bang Theory?
This perp will probably get more time than FBI agent Conditt , eh?
FBI Agent Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse
Tuesday February 17, 2004 11:46 PM
By JOHN SOLOMON
https://antipolygraph.org/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1077052156
WASHINGTON (AP) – The former chief internal watchdog at the FBI has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl and has admitted he had a history of molesting other children before he joined the bureau for what became a two-decade career.
John H. Conditt Jr., 53, who retired in 2001, was sentenced last week to 12 years in prison in Tarrant County court in Fort Worth, Texas, after he admitted he molested the daughter of two FBI agents after he retired. He acknowledged molesting at least two other girls before he began his law enforcement career, his lawyer said.
I wouldn’t want to give him a job! Would you???
POW
Prosecutor Mary Kellett’s policies are terrorism. She needs to be disbarred and prosecute herself.
do you mind me asking how that is pertinent to this story?
u really cant figure why that statement is pertinent
I see absolutely no reference in this story to ANY District Attorney including Mary Kellett aside from where they say the charges are under review. So again, how is this pertinent to the story?
To bad these guys were not working the FBI shift when the
flight school called up about the terrorists wanting to learn to fly planes
maybe the twin towers would be still standing.
IMPOSTER!
Send him to the bat asylum.
You can take the whole fanboy thing too far.
just more proof that everything you do electronicly goes through the NSA, they screen everything from cell calls to debit transactions,xbox live acounts ,facebook,tweeter, it all gets looked at……
folks need to start taking a look at the us govt,……and realize they are the enemy, they dont do anything in your interest,…… just the interest of corperations and the bilderberg group(illuminati)
wake up america
Paranoid much? This did not go through NSA, it’s a public page and someone pointed out the comment to the local PD, they checked it out and went from there.
People are WAY too paranoid these days!
Too paranoid?
So itwasmyidea, sounds like you know who it is.
Nope not a clue, sorry.
Holy cow… did your tin foil hat fall off? This is small town Maine, everyone and their brother saw the comment he posted on his Facebook page.
STOP S. O. P. A.!
I think the Bar Harbor Police Dept. went too far. This was not even the man’s personal page. This page is a public page created for entertainment. While the joke was in very poor taste, it was very non-specific and it is subject to interpretation (http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/17-A/title17-Asec210.html) whether it reaches the criminal level. It did contain phrases that I believe are attributable to the Joker in the movie Dark Knight. Having Batman make such a threat (satirical) on April Fool’s Day would lead me to believe, it is exactly what it purports to be, an April Fool’s Joke.
I think prosecuting an April Fools Joke leads us to a very slippery slope of what we can or cannot say under free speech on our FaceBook pages. I think this case is complicated by the fact that the page was created solely for entertainment purposes, and uses phrases from a highly popular and well known movie portraying the fictional character(s) discussed and portrayed on this page.
To those who would argue, how would the BHPD look if there had been real threat at that hospital, you too, have a valid point. I do think looking into the matter was the proper thing to do, but I still believe no arrest was warranted but in the LEOs’ defense, I was not there.
I do hope Batman will go to court with this if necessary. However, I hope even more that the prosecutor will elect not to file formal charges and dismiss the matter.
I would agree with you, HAD he not taken it to the next level, and asked the police officer who came to talk to him about it- If he’d brought the money with him. The officer himself said that he took it more seriously at that point. That statement implies that they figured it was some sort of stupid joke. He may not have been arrested had he not asked the cop if he’d brought the money.
These officers know him. He is a well known entertainer in town. He has been at many of my bands shows in town. They knew he was kidding; and did all this anyway.
And just how many people would be up in arms if he HADN’T been kidding, and the hospital blew up? I know who he is, I live near Bar Harbor. I don’t find him (or his idea of a joke) very entertaining. Obviously, the officer didn’t either.
join the force you’ll fit right in
I was in mid sentence when mentioning the Money , and it really was just an Off hand remark. ” You don’t think i would really B___ Up the H___ wait, what do you have the money or something…..”As soon I said it I knew it was The Wrong Thing To Say just then, I rebutted just kidding I am not serious. But it was to little to late.
You wouldn’t have found yourself in that predicament if you hadn’t made that post to begin with, would you? It was in poor taste. If you were truly quoting a movie (I’m not saying you weren’t, but I’ve never seen the Batman Movies, and don’t know if it’s in there or not), then you would have covered your hind end by using quotations, and stating which movie it was from.
There are other things that could have been joked about, that others would have found amusing, and you wouldn’t have found yourself arrested.
wow….you must be Capt Obivious….I’ve already guessed your super power
simmuh down nuh
the post was on a “entertainment” page… how big of a sucker do you need to be to arrest someone on a entertainment page, on April fools day.. lol
haha but chris, i so could see you saying that. classic last statements of the rich and not so famous
omg he was joking with the cop. i can see him asking the cop now. jesus, were not in nyc here people. let alone it was april fools day. did they happen to loose their humor on april fools day?
This crime ranks right up there with the Easter Bunny caper at Walmart!
Tell me. What would you have said if it wasnt a prank and he actually went through with his threat? This is the same as going to a bank and demanding money then say “April Fools”!! You would and up where he did. Its still terrorism.
I know Chris and he is a good guy. When I saw his comment yesterday I was like “On no, you are going to get in trouble”. And he did. It was reckless.
Like he said, not everyone gets his sense of humor.
This guy has WAY too much time on his hands. A joke among friends is a whole lot different than an electronic one (for better or for worse, it’s 2012)
Signed: Another Crandall
I agree, fellow Crandall. This was a mistake made by a very nice guy.
He is an amazing and eccentric artist that goofed up with this particular attempt at humor.
This Post was made only on my Personal Page. In no way were real organizations or real officials contacted with real demands. My biggest regret is calling them idiots and making that joke about the money.
Thanks. I don’t understand the whole facebook thing (and displaying your entire life to the world), only that it has morphed and is closely monitored (and apparently by prospective employers too). It’s getting closer to “1984”; ya gotta watch out.
It’s 2012….not 1984 (George Orwell reference…have to throw that out there since people might not understand my quote and think about the decade of the 80s)
HUH?
I guess you’re too young to have read or understand the 1984 reference or how it just may pertain to this story. The book was ahead of its time, obviously, and is becoming to be somewhat true. 2012?
That’s the only thing I can glean from your reply. Enlighten me if you care to.
it was on an entertainment page. they never should have done more than called him
Poor Batman. 9/11 took away much of our freedom. The terrorist are winning, one lost freedom at a time. We are just becoming “sheepeople.”
A Nation of Fear
No, George Bush/Dick Cheney took away our freedom. After 9/11 we had a range of actions we could have taken and the ones Bush/Cheney chose played to our fears and to take away many liberties. We did not have to go down this road.
I know you are just seizing the opportunity to bash Bush/Cheney and that is one of the freedoms we still have. Regardless who is to blame we are losing our freedoms one at a time due to our wanting to be politically correct. As Amy wrote ” A nation of fear” is correct. Besides Dick Cheney has had a “change of heart”. :-(
Be careful what you post and you won’t get into the same predicament this guy got into. It might have only been a joke but it was a stupid joke…even for an April Fool’s day prank. Think next time!!!
I hear Ya!
Better yet, make it a private page so anyone that is not a fan, can’t see the posts.
””
OMG this guy, Chris is known in the local community for his batman schtick. He marches in the towns parades, hes awesome. One of the funniest dudes Ive ever know. I mean he even kidded the cop if he had the million bucks. Talk about a bunch of idjits
what a great piece of police work…
Ok, so kind of a silly, yet very distasteful joke. I’m sure the police will get some grief for perhaps an overreaction, but not nearly as much grief as they would get if they didn’t take it seriously and the hospital DID get blown up!
Really Legalwoman72? At No point in American History has any hospital been blown up, It’s only in the Movies. No Threat or warring was issued to the hospital or any other official organization issued to any. Local Police are Well aware of me, my exploits which include but are not Limited to Bar Hopping, Karaoke, Dancing with a Boom Box in the Park, and making public appearances with Bands and DJ’s. I am Not a terrorist, and this was a Gross Overreaction.
Actually, hospitals and staff have been attacked multiple times in history.
The town has an ordinance about noise, not created by the police, but enforced by the police. You were warned about your Boom Box because it violated the ordinance.
Even superheroes have to play by the rules and think before they act.
Trade towers had never had airplanes flown into them either. First time for everything and, god forbid it were a REAL prank, the police would have been hammered on forever about it. No, I don’t think you’re a terrorist. I think you’re a funny guy with a hilarious skit, but in the world we live in, cops have to take everything seriously.
I am Not a terrorist, and this was a Gross Overreaction. Also a very stupid thing to write in today’s world. Dude you are 35 and dress up like batman. I think that gives the police enough reason to worry about your state of mind. On a side note did you go to COA?
no effort was made to contact me BHBM
For the love of everything…..it was movie quotes people!!!!!!!!!! Batman movies!!!!
CLEARLY a joke even if you don’t know him well. If he is going to blow up ANYTHING it’s going to be the hearts and minds of the sick kids IN the hospital. Or his own liver. Jury’s still out on that one too.
But seriously people. He posted it on April 1. It was quite clearly a joke. I hope he sues the **** out of them, for a million bucks.
That’s what happens when you give useless twits a badge and uniform.
HOLY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, BATMAN !
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO EXPRESS MY APOLOGIES TO ANY PANIC OR
MASS HYSTERIA CAUSE BY MY, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN OBVIOUS APRIL FOOLS
FACEBOOK POST. IT WAS LIKE ANY OTHER FACEBOOK POST MADE BY MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE EVERYDAY. I QUOTED A MOVIE.
As Far as I can tell from emails and phone messages No effort was made to re- contact me by Bangor Daily news, I did how ever have Two interviews today from other news organizations Who went out of there way to get the real story. I feel the only thing I need to defend myself against is the off hand remark about the Money. I deal with Stress Full Situations with Humor. While trying to deal with this misunderstanding, I said “guys come on, really? Do you think I’m Capable of doing this? It’s a Quote from a Movie for Pete’s sakes, on April fool’s Day no less,What Do you have the Money or something?” I told them after, hey just kidding this whole thing is out of hand. Do you really believe me to be a danger to myself and others? And That is that. I was removed from my home and taken to Hancock County and was Given Psychiatric Evaluation. I Now all I can Do is try and move forward from this unfortunate turn of events. If you would like to know more about this or me Please Find me on Facebook, I try to respond to most comments. Bar arbor Batman, A.K.A. Wayne Bruce.
I’ve always thought that cops should get extra training to recognize movie quotes. BTW how did you do on the psych eval?
The only ones acting hysterical were the police.
Now they are affirming to each other that every “threat” must be taken seriously even if it flies in the face of common sense.
I think you are a stand up guy coming on here and defending yourself. I would strongly recommend you find a different hobby. I really like “The Outlaw Josey Wales” but haven’t gone to Kansas looking for “Red Legs”, I’m just sayin……. ditch the Batman stuff, it’s ruining your life! Like it or not, this is post 9/11 USA. I was boarding a plane in Los Angeles a few years back and going through the Gestapo inspection station, and the Oberfurer asked this gentleman what was in his bag, to which he replied in a joking manner, “A Bomb” I am her to tell you they were on him like white on rice, left in handcuffs. I was shocked, every one in the line couldn’t believe it. He was clearly joking. They did not obviously take it that way. As someone who flies frequently, I am glad they take the precautions they do to a certain extent. Most of it’s a joke because they rarely check the cargo out and everyone knows it. I can see in your posts you really felt you were joking. I hope they slap you on the hand and don’t ruin your life with felonies and prison.. It seems they don’t like your antics, must scare the tourists or something. Good luck, enjoy life.
I am usually very funny, even my bad jokes are funny, in a way.
You must be related to Lenny Bruce, a funny, funny man.
really?
Haters Go On Hating
enjoy your police state ,citizens
I’m sorry, but what some people think is funny potentially (this isn’t my kind of humor) shouldn’t be posted on Facebook. Everyone interprets things in their own way. Save it for the summer bonfire and the six-pack with people that understand your eccentric vibe. Attention seeking behavior or what…..
…
All you Mainers sound like idiots. I’m wit StillRelaxin, Schwartz is right
It was a joke thats all it was i think people are taking this to serious have fun and live a little he obvisouly was joking and for everyone that can’t realaize that he was joking you are the type of person that takes everything serious and needs to get the stick out of your…..
This country is in a poor way. First the Easter Bunny Pranksters at Wal Mart, now this? It appears as if a cop can arrest and detain anyone for anything now a days without repercussion.
well, look at it this way. After this case is thrown out of court, or a small fine. Bar Harbor Batman, you have just received more publicity then you have since you started this skit. Move forward from this and use it to help your “craft” grow and capitalize on your new grown publicity. But remember, learn from this and make better joke choices in the future. lol
Cops do not have much of a sense of humor sometimes. When asked “do you know why I stopped you”. I say “I do not think thier is a right answer to that question “. Gets me a ticket almost every time.
something like 90% of the time, cops make up their minds to give a ticket or not “as they approach” a drivers window. that’s why if you have a support cops sticker decal or something that your a law abiding person on your rear window, you increase the odds of not getting a ticket.
So a boyscout handbook on the dash will not help ? Seems like they profile people the problem with that is profiles are sometimes wrong. Really only had 1 ticket in the last 10 years as a rule I do not speed . Sometimes you has no clue a plate light is out.
How come the BDN didn’t run a story about the listing on The Uncle Henry’s site for the baby being sold for a buck? That is in much poor taste than what this poor schlep did.
Good thing he didn’t sell weapons to Iran. He would be the hero of the Republican party!
Ya know what … I hope this incident makes the big time newspapers and he makes a killing off the articles. This is right up there with some of the Youtube videos like the homeless guy with the golden radio voice.
I usually use my facebook page as an entertainment pages too and I don’t see anything wrong with free speech. It was meant as a joke, I’m sure the police knew that right from the start, after all, they know him.
For those of you who don’t have a sense of humor, I suggest you get one asap and start enjoying life. Wayne Bruce, wishing you all the good luck in the world, keep your sense of humor!
Free speech doesn’t cover everything. You can’t go into a crowded theater, shout “FIRE”, and expect it to be covered under free speech. Just as you can’t demand a million dollars and you won’t blow up the hospital, and expect to be covered by free speech.
I wondered how long before a Constitution “scholar” would pop up and pull out the old, “Fire!” in a crowded threater argument.
How many hundreds died after being trampled to death at Bar Harbor Hospital yesterday?
Oh, the HORROR, Henny Penny, the HORROR!!!
Still doen’t make his stupid idea of a joke covered under free speech.
Just thinking of all the friends and family of people who were jokesters and such fun gentle people , and make a comment oh I’m going to shoot someone, or commit suicide, and friends and family thought it was a joke, yet the so called friendly joking person did shoot someone or commit suicide,
any words or writings that come out of a persons mind , movies or not( alot of people have done just what they saw in movies), for the best benifit of the doubt, take serious.
A very stupid joke on Christopher Schwartz part!! The police done right, so smartin up with the stupid jokes! Not the least bit funny in my book.
The rest of we in the Justice League are not amused.
‘“In the era we live in, you can’t take them lightly,” he said.’
Ummm no. You could have easily taken this lightly. It was pretty obviously fake. In fact, if we went back to taking more things lightly we would have no more or less risk of violence, since most people who actually plan on doing violent things don’t post about it as “Batman”, but you’d sure have a lot fewer pissed off law-abiding citizens and fewer civil liberties violations…
If you dress up in a costume to represent a fictional hero you should be held to a higher standard. Kids don’t know any better. They will look up to a person that dresses up like that. To be running around drunk all the time and joking about blowing up a hospital is classless and not very hero like. It is actually quite reckless. “With great power comes great responsibility”. Oh sorry wrong movie. LOL Try this one Batman: “That’s one trouble with dual identities, Robin, dual responsibilities.
Asking if they bought the “Money” was Classic!
Okay, we all know how you feel about the man so stop posting “Dumb Bazz!” a thousand times. It gets old.
>>>>>
What is wrong with a person that threatens to blow up a hospital then says it’s a joke? Are we supposed to think this is funny? This guy needs professional help. He could have endangered a lot of people if the PD didn’t already know he’s a loon. Throw the book at him, what a loser.
Your parking fine money hard at work….
Does anyone think this action by the Bar Harbor Batman was done in VERY POOR TASTE – it is like going to a house, knocking on the door and saying — Your house is on fire – then saying April Fool!! If anyone can think about it sensibly, it is a stressful situation for all involved – could cause heart attacks, panic, anxiety etc. I do wish that people would think about what they say on Facebook or any other Social site. No wonder employers want your password to see your Facebook site now!!! I think it is wrong for employers to look at these places – but if you want to spew idiocy, don’t do it on Facebook!!! So far there is no law to protect your privacy on Facebook, so beware!!!
Too bad he doesn’t look like Batman!
i am glad I dont have a facebook page looks like they can cause someone a lot of problems.
That last name looks familiar….Hmmmmmmmm……
my gosh..Let the guy be Batman..So what if he has a boombox..Geez..and we pay the PD’s salary for what?? NOTHING
Terrorists 3 USA 1
Terrorists Win!
What if a person is posting as Dr. Evil and talking about his “Laser”. Is that going to result in a Police Response as well? Maybe we can exercise the SWAT team this time.
Ummmm .. I hate to break the bad news to you poor “oppressed” people who believe your “rights” are being trampled upon, but you’ve never had the right to threaten to blow up hospitals or even dog houses for that matter.
Even before 911 people were routinely arrested for calling in bomb threats for a variety of stupid reasons. For some odd reason, most people just don’t find the threat of being blown up to be very funny.
Next April 1st, try calling your mom, tell her you’re from the phone company and you need to blow out her phone lines.
this is on reddit