A man accused of stabbing a McDonald’s employee allegedly said he did it because he was under attack by “God and demons.”
Paul Bernard, 61, of Bangor is charged with one felony count each of elevated aggravated assault and aggravated assault. He appeared in Penobscot County Superior Court for his first appearance on Monday afternoon.
The 28-year-old victim was working at the McDonald’s at 441 Main St. when he was stabbed in the hand and left thigh shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the report from Bangor police. One stab wound was “very close” to the femoral artery and the victim was lucky, the medical staff told police.
The victim was random and not someone Bernard knew, Penobscot County Assistant District Attorney Alice Clifford said. The man was sweeping trash in the parking lot near the drive-thru when he was stabbed.
Bernard did not enter a plea, which is standard for felony cases. It will be presented to a grand jury that will decide whether or not to indict him.
The victim told police he was about to tell the person approaching that he was too close, when the man, who police later identified as Bernard, pulled a knife out of a jacket pocket, and stabbed him in the hand and thigh, according to the report. Bernard was stabbing the victim over and over again, he told police.
The victim then grabbed Bernard’s hand to stop the stabbing and Bernard then started punching him with his other hand, the victim told police. Bernard got tired quickly and the victim was able to escape and get into the restaurant, the report said.
Bangor police found the victim in the kitchen bleeding from his leg, according to the report.
When police arrived on scene, Bernard exited his car, walked toward the officer and said that he “did it,” according to the report. He had blood stains on his clothing, police said.
A knife with a 6- to 10-inch blade was used in the stabbing and found in Bernard’s car, according to the report.
Bernard told police he had been “under attack by God and demons,” according to the report. He had not slept for almost four months because of insomnia, and said that he hears “humming” in his right ear and “hissing” in his left ear, according to the police report.
After the stabbing he said his ears were ringing “louder than ever,” and that it was more signs from God, the report said.
“I’ve been a dirt bag all my life,” Bernard told police according to the report. “Ultimately my place is going to be in the lake of fire, in hell. God has revealed that to me.”
Bernard also told police that he’s let everyone down, that his family and people at church are going to be “disgusted” with him and that he was “a fake Christian,” the report.
Before the stabbing, Bernard drove into the McDonald’s parking lot, walked toward the front door and then returned to his car, Bangor police said it saw in security camera footage. Bernard then drove to the Pour House and walked to the area where the victim was stabbed, police said.
McDonald’s security footage doesn’t cover the area where the stabbing happened but the victim is seen limping into the restaurant shortly after Bernard walked over there, Bangor police said.
Bernard was granted a $50,000 cash bail, which he cannot afford to post, his lawyer Joe Belisle said. Bernard was in the Penobscot County Jail at the time of publication.
If Bernard posts bail, some of his conditions include not returning to that McDonald’s and not contacting the victim.