LINCOLN, Maine — Police used a stun gun twice on a local man after he allegedly vandalized a Main Street restaurant and grappled with a police officer late Friday, a police department spokesman said Saturday.
Jamie Clements, 36, of Lincoln was charged with disorderly conduct and failure to submit to arrest Friday, according to Detective Mark Fucile, spokesman for the Lincoln Police Department. Clements may have faced more charges, but a patron whom Clements allegedly kicked in the leg and workers at Wing Wah Chinese restaurant declined to press charges.
Officer Seth Burnes was called to Wing Wah on Main Street at about 10:45 p.m. Friday on a report of an intoxicated and out-of-control patron. A waitress later told Burnes that Clements followed her into a closet and “asked her to dance.” When she declined, he walked away and swept his arm across the top of the restaurant bar, breaking glasses and bottles, Fucile said.
Burnes wasn’t aware of this when he arrived and saw Clements standing outside the restaurant near a vehicle. He recognized Clements from previous encounters and could tell from Clements’ tense posture and ripped shirt that Clements likely was intoxicated, feeling aggressive and had been involved in whatever happened inside the restaurant, Fucile said.
Still, to be certain, Burnes asked Clements about what happened in the restaurant and received a belligerent response of “What does it matter?” A restaurant patron then came out and indicated that Clements was the person Burnes had been called to Wing Wah to deal with, Fucile said.
During their conversation, Clements punched a light pole twice, prompting Burnes to move to pull Clements away from the pole to keep him from hurting himself or damaging property. When Clements allegedly continued to fight, Burnes pulled him to the ground and radioed for immediate help. Clements allegedly grabbed toward Burnes’ throat. When Burnes threatened to use his stun gun to subdue Clements, Clements allegedly twice dared Burnes to “shoot me with your gun,” Fucile said.
Burnes used the stun gun on Clements, who is 5-foot-10 and 240 pounds, dropping Clements to the ground, and again fired a set of electrified darts into Clements’ torso when Clements got up and allegedly came toward Burnes. Clements also kicked a patron when the man helped subdue him. By then, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department Deputies Michael Knights and Patti McLaughlin had arrived and helped take Clements into custody, Fucile said.
Lincoln Officer John Walsh, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Ryan Fitch, East Millinocket police Sgt. Kevin Ingersoll and Maine State Trooper Tom Fiske also arrived in response to Burnes’ distress calls, Fucile said.
A Lincoln ambulance took Clements to Penobscot Valley Hospital of Lincoln for evaluation. Clements posted bail after police took him to Penobscot County Jail, Fucile said.
Clements was on probation for a felony committed in New Hampshire when Lincoln police charged him with possession of a firearm by a felon after allegedly pawning a rifle to a local pawn shop in January. That case is pending.
Clements is due to face Friday night’s charges in Lincoln District Court on May 3, Fucile said.