Hampden man charged in Bangor motel mayhem

A Hampden man denied discharging a fire extinguisher inside a Bangor motel hallway and creating other mayhem, but admitted he did try to spar with other motel patrons.

“Yeah, I slapped a couple of guys around to show them what’s up, but you got the wrong guy for this,” 20-year-old Leonard Giroux told police who questioned him about the damage in the third-floor hallway at the Fairfield Inn early Monday morning.

Yellow powder from the fire extinguisher was on the floor and some still hung in the air when police went to investigate the incident about 12:30 a.m., reported Officer Brian Nichols. A large, round, metal object – apparently the bottom of a trash can – had been thrown against one of the room doors and was on the floor, according to police.

Officer Brad Hanson spoke to two people staying in rooms on that floor and both reported hearing a commotion and hearing Giroux taunting people to come out and fight him. One man recalled Giroux boasting that he was the “number one fighter in the state.” The man also recalled that Giroux sprayed the fire extinguisher throughout the hallway. Seeing the man come out, Giroux asked him whether he had ever been sprayed in the face with a fire extinguisher.

The other man told police he saw Giroux throw the round, metal object at his door and that Giroux was challenging people to a fight.

Giroux was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief as well as given a civil summons for possession of alcohol by a minor after police found two beers hidden in his clothing. According to the police report, Bryan Finnemore, 20, of Bangor also was involved in the incident, but to a lesser degree, and was charged with disorderly conduct.

– From NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli.