BANGOR, Maine — A Portland man accused of causing a six-hour standoff at the home of his ex-fiancee in Bangor last month was indicted Wednesday by the Penobscot County grand jury on multiple charges.
Nicholas Condon, 27, is facing two counts each of kidnapping and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon; one count each of burglary, reckless conduct with a firearm, creating a police standoff and possession of sexually explicit material.
Condon has been held at the Penobscot County Jail since his arrest Feb. 8 at 831 Union St. in Bangor. He has been unable to post $100,000 cash bail.
Condon wanted to force police to shoot him, according to an affidavit filed at the Penobscot Judicial Center. During his first court appearance by videoconference from the jail on Feb. 9, Condon was dressed in a sleeveless smock given to inmates on suicide watch. On Wednesday, he was housed with the general inmate population, jail personnel said.
He is expected to be arraigned April 8.
All the charges except possession of sexually explicit materials are related to the standoff, according to Michael Roberts, deputy district attorney for Penobscot County. The prosecutor said after the grand jury handed up indictments that child pornography was found on Condon’s phone. Investigators later obtained a search warrant for his laptop in Portland and found child pornography on that device as well.
Condon went to the home of his ex-fiancee and her new boyfriend early the morning of Feb. 8 armed with a loaded shotgun, according to the affidavit. He threatened to shoot and burn them both.
He left Portland at 3 a.m., went to Wal-Mart in Bangor about 3½ hours later and purchased ammunition, duct tape, two small crowbars, a folding knife and a blowtorch kit before going to his former girlfriend’s house on Union Street and breaking down the front door, according to the affidavit.
Condon had the woman call police, according to the affidavit. When police arrived shortly after 8 a.m., he reportedly shot at them through the front door. At the hospital, Condon said the gun had gone off accidentally and he did not intend to fire at police, according to the affidavit.
After negotiating with police for several hours, Condon surrendered about 2:15 p.m. after tear gas was lobbed into the Union Street house.
If convicted, Condon faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $50,000 on the kidnapping charges alone. If convicted of possessing child pornography, Condon faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.