Maine Man Arrested After Wild Rooftop Standoff in Bangor

A standoff in Bangor came to an end Wednesday morning after a man climbed onto the roof of a home and refused to come down for hours.

Police say 39-year-old Stephen Nason was eventually taken into custody around 11:30 a.m. and brought to a local hospital for both physical and mental health evaluations. He now faces multiple charges, including aggravated criminal mischief, creating a police standoff, and probation violations.

Incident Begins in Early Morning Hours

The ordeal began around 4 a.m. on 14th Street, when a woman and her boyfriend were awakened by noises coming from the roof of their home. Upon investigating, they spotted a ladder propped against the back of the house and saw a man — later identified as Nason — on the roof.

The couple, who say they had never seen Nason before, asked him what he was doing. According to their account, Nason shouted down that he was trying to retrieve drugs he believed were inside the chimney. That’s when they called the police.

Standoff Escalates When Man Grabs Axe from Fire Basket

When officers and firefighters arrived, the Bangor Fire Department raised a basket up to the roof in an effort to assist Nason safely. However, things took a dangerous turn when Nason jumped into the basket, grabbed an axe that was attached, and then leapt back onto the roof.

“He jumped from our roof to the basket, retrieved the ax, and then proceeded to chop holes in our roof,” said Peter Rairdon, who lives at the residence.

Authorities Reflect on Handling Mental Health Crises

Fire Chief Geoffrey Low said the intention was to treat Nason with dignity, as someone in crisis, but acknowledged that the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

“It’s nothing we would pre-plan. We certainly don’t train for that,” said Chief Low. “It was an unexpected consequence of trying to help.”

Sgt. Jason McAmbley of the Bangor Police Department described the incident as “abnormal” due to its length and unpredictability, but emphasized that helping people in crisis is part of their daily responsibilities.

“There is help out there if people are willing to accept it,” McAmbley said. “But we can’t force them to make the right decisions.”

Stephen Nason is currently being held at the Penobscot County Jail as he awaits his first court appearance.

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