A man was allegedly kicking and pounding on the door of a downtown business before he ran from police and jumped in the Kenduskeag Stream on Thursday.
Jason Evans, 22, is charged with three Class E misdemeanors, criminal trespass, refusing to submit to arrest and violation of conditions of release in Penobscot County Superior Court. He appeared in court Friday and was referred for a mental competency evaluation.
He was kicking and pounding on a locked door at a business on the corner of Harlow and Exchange streets Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Lewis said in court. There was a woman inside the locked business, Lewis said.
Evans ran when police arrived, and kept running when police told him to stop, she said.
The chase ended after Evans jumped in the Kenduskeag Stream around 10:10 a.m. Thursday. Bangor police Sgt. Jason McAmbley has not responded to multiple requests for information about the chase.
The water rescue drew dozens of onlookers onto the bridges near Hannibal Hamlin Park. Evans was in the stream for roughly 20 minutes before Bangor police and fire rescued him with a boat.
“What occurred is frightening when it comes to Mr. Evans’ safety as well as the community’s safety,” Lewis said.
Evans has no criminal convictions and the circumstances around the case are “strange,” defense attorney Erik Paulson said. He argued there was no probable cause to charge Evans with criminal trespassing as the allegations were only of him pounding on a locked door.
Judge Ann Murray found there was probable cause for the charge to remain.
Evans had appeared in court Wednesday for a first appearance in an operating under the influence case and was granted an unsecured bond that day, Murray said.
Evans was granted a $200 cash bail, which he had not posted at time of publication. He remains in the Penobscot County Jail.