Distraught man stabs self during arrest

After a struggle in which the suspect injured himself and two officers’ uniforms were covered with blood, Bangor police arrested a resident of the Wellspring Inc. substance abuse home Tuesday afternoon.

Officer Mike Kenney arrested Jeremy Lau, 26, at the home on 98 Cumberland St. Tuesday after it was discovered that he was wanted on a warrant for violation of bail.

Kenney and Officer Paul Colley were sent to the home to arrest Lau on the warrant issued by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department. They were to bring him to Penobscot County Jail where Aroostook County deputies would pick him up later.

Upon entering the home, the officers were met by a counselor, who said Lau “may be getting his belongings,” Kenney said in the report. A few minutes passed when Lau walked through the room and into an adjoining kitchen.

When the officers heard someone yell from the kitchen, they rushed in to find Lau on the floor crying. Lau then cut his left biceps with an 8-inch serrated kitchen knife, the report said. Kenney said Lau then tried to stab himself in the chest, pleading, “Let me die.” Kenney and Colley grabbed his arms before he was able to do so.

“It looked like a slaughterhouse,” Kenney said. “He had plans. He did not want to go to jail.” Kenney and Colley had to discard their uniforms because of the blood.

According to police reports, Lau then tried to open the gash in his arm by ripping it open before the officers were able to subdue him.

Kenney said Lau repeated his wishes to hurt only himself and not the officers.

When Bangor fire and rescue crews were called to the scene, they strapped Lau to a backboard on which he was unable to move. He was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. He was released Wednesday.

Kenney said he thought Lau would be under suicide watch when he arrives in Aroostook County.

Bangor police arrested a Bangor State Fair worker on charges of possessing dangerous drugs, probation violation and failing to give the correct name to a police officer at noon Wednesday.

Daniel Sarra, 23, of Garland was arrested after police found he had two outstanding warrants in New Jersey.

Officer Joel Nadeau found Sarra tending to a trampoline-house. When Nadeau asked him if his name was Danny, he said “yes” but gave a different last name.

According to police reports, Nadeau then told the man that, if he was not being truthful, he could be charged with failing to give the correct name to a police officer. Sarra said he was being truthful.

Sarra later was identified by a friend he had been visiting at a Bangor homeless shelter and was taken to Penobscot County Jail.

Sarra’s employment application from Fiesta Shows, which runs many of the rides and booths in the fair, showed that he had applied under an assumed name. According to police reports, proper identification is not required for independently contracted booths such as the trampoline-house booth.

? Compiled by NEWS reporter Matthew LeBlanc