FAIRFIELD — A 48-year-old man was stunned with a Taser by a Fairfield police officer after being given a warning for criminal trespass and refusing to leave Lawrence High School on Wednesday morning, police said.
“Officer Shanna Blodgett was the first to respond after school officials called us about a man who was in the school who was agitated and not making sense,” said police Sgt. Matthew Bard. “He was asked to leave several times and refused.”
The man — identified by police as Ronald Brousseau — was leaving the school when Blodgett arrived at 8:42 a.m.
“This gentleman apparently went into the school looking for someone. Officials asked him to leave several times, but he was refusing,” Bard said. “When officer Blodgett approached him, he was very confrontational and refused to answer any questions.
“She gave him a warning for criminal trespass, but he refused to cooperate,” Bard added. “He was taken into custody, but didn’t go willingly, so he was Tasered.”
Brousseau — whose last known address was Fairfield in 1996, Bard said — was charged with criminal trespass and refusing to submit to arrest. He was transported to the police station at 9 a.m. He was not carrying any weapons.
“Police response was very prompt and effective,” said SAD 49 School Superintendent Dean Baker, who said the high school was never locked down during the incident. “We did delay the class changeover for a few minutes while this was happening, as it occurred just before the scheduled time from one block to another. Rather than release the kids from their classes while he was present, we decided to keep them in their classrooms.”
Two other officers arrived and assisted with the arrest.
Bard said it remained unclear Wednesday afternoon why Brousseau came to the school.
“He was there looking for someone, but wouldn’t really say what he was looking for or who,” he said.
Bard said Brousseau remains in custody, but has been sent to Maine General Medical Center in Waterville for evaluation. He has been scheduled to appear Feb. 20 in Skowhegan District Court.
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