FARMINGTON – A university student was charged with disorderly conduct early Friday morning outside the Front Street Tavern after he was punched by the tavern’s bouncer, according to police.

Michael Sullivan, 22, a University of Maine at Farmington student, told police he was in the process of helping break up a brawl involving more than 30 people, according to Shane Cote of the Farmington Police Department.

Sullivan was arrested after Cote warned him several times to calm down and stop yelling.

The bouncer, Roderick Marble, 30, was issued a summons for assault after he admitted punching Sullivan, Cote said. Marble told police he thought Sullivan had been throwing rocks at his car, which Sullivan denied.

Sullivan declined to comment Tuesday. His attorney, Walter Hanstein, said Wednesday that Sullivan heard from a passer-by that his friend was being assaulted and went to try to diffuse the situation. Sullivan was having some success, Hanstein said, when he was “sucker punched” from behind.

Hanstein said Sullivan had no prior record.

“The only reason he got involved was to try to be a peacemaker,” he said. “He was the least aggressive person there.”

Other students who came to help Sullivan reported a baseball bat was involved.

They believed it came from the bar. It is unclear whether it was used as a weapon.

Several police officers responded. In addition to Cote, Bridgette Dellarma and Andrew Hufnagel of the Farmington Police Department, Aaron Turcotte and Rick Billian of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and Maine State Trooper Randy Keaton were on scene as was Adam Welch from University of Maine at Farmington, who called in the report.

Dellarma, Hufnagel and Turcotte had been at the tavern earlier the same night on an unrelated incident when employees asked them to remove a man from the premises.

According to Dellarma, Timothy Nurse, 29, of Wilton was there when police arrived at 11 p.m. to remove him. Nurse became combative and shoved Dellarma. He was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and assault on an officer.

Another man, Ted Welch, 23, of New Sharon was also arrested at the same time on a charge of criminal trespass after he attempted to obstruct Nurse’s arrest.