Police: Bangor man threatened to hurt self

BANGOR – After more than two hours of negotiations late Wednesday night and efforts to get a distressed man to come out of his Lincoln Street apartment, authorities let the man stay put, convinced he posed no threat to himself.

The man had been drinking and threatened to shoot himself, according to police. But police said that through their investigation and efforts to get the 21-year-old man to come out peacefully, they determined the man didn’t have a gun.

What also convinced the police that it was safe to leave were assurances by the man’s mother that she would check in on him during the overnight to make sure he was doing OK, said Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards.

Police officials had surrounded the home at 94 Lincoln St. for more than two hours, keeping watch and trying to stay in contact with the man.

The man had spoken to police dispatchers on the phone, then later officers spoke to the man through a door at the residence.

Even though authorities weren’t sure the man had a gun, they were taking the situation seriously, said Bangor police Sgt. Thomas Reagan. In light of their concern, the Bangor police department sought to minimize traffic in the area of 94 Lincoln St. where the incident was believed to take place.

A Bangor Fire Department ambulance and a police cruiser blocked off Lincoln Street at Main Street, and the intersection of Third and Lincoln streets was blocked off as well.