On Saturday night, the Brunswick Police Department (BPD) issued a criminal trespass warning barring Robert Emmons, a Brunswick resident, from College property. The warning was issued in response to an encounter between Emmons and several Bowdoin students that occurred outside 17 Cleaveland Street, a student off-campus house, shortly before midnight on Saturday. 

BPD also issued a disorderly conduct warning to the occupants of 17 Cleaveland in response to a separate noise complaint early Sunday morning. 

According to student witnesses, Emmons used derogatory language towards women and pushed a Bowdoin senior male to the ground. The student was not injured.

A Bowdoin shuttle driver who was at the scene called the Office of Safety and Security, according to Director of Safety and Security Randy Nichols. Then, Security placed a 911 call to BPD to report a fight in progress, according to BPD Commander of Support Services Mark Waltz.

While BPD officers were en route, they were told that Emmons had left the scene. The officers then encountered him at 85 Federal Street. 

According to Nichols, Emmons admitted in an interview with BPD officers to shoving a student when he was directed to leave the party that was taking place.

Waltz is not aware of similar recent incidents in which fights have occurred when non-students are asked to leave parties. 

Michael Walsh ’19 had been at the party at 17 Cleaveland for about 20 minutes when the encounter occurred. 

“I was a little uncomfortable,” said Walsh. “He just was being very verbally abusive to these women.”

According to Walsh, Emmons asked several Bowdoin women where they lived and followed up by asking where they were from. When Emmons was told to leave the scene, he obliged.

“He didn’t touch anyone else, but when he left, he started punching cars,” said Walsh. “I thought it was going to escalate because he was making threats to come back.”

Walsh said the male student who Emmons pushed did not initiate the physical contact.

“Apparently he’s a really nice guy, so I don’t think he was looking for a fight in any sense of the way,” said Walsh. 

Sadie LoGerfo-Olsen ’19 was also at the 17 Cleaveland party. However, she entered the scene as the events was unfolding, only seeing the male Bowdoin senior on the ground and not the build up to the physical encounter. 

LoGerfo-Olsen took a video recording of Emmons’ interaction with Bowdoin students, which she emailed to Security when they arrived at the scene. The recording helped the officers identify Emmons. 

“I feel like that’s the thing to do now. Like, if you see [potentially harmful] interactions, you should film it,” said LoGerfo-Olsen. 

Nichols confirmed that what he had seen on LoGerfo-Olsen’s tape was consistent with the statements he had received about the incident. 

LoGerfo-Olsen was rattled by the type of words exchanged during the interaction and Emmons’ parting words.

“I would say that the scariest part of the interaction was a) the language he used—very aggressive. And then b) one of the girls [said], ‘Oh, it’s fine. It’s over. He’s gone. It’s fine.’ And then you can hear him say, ‘Yeah, but I’ll be back.’ And I [thought], ‘Oh. That doesn’t seem good,’” said LoGerfo-Olsen.

Security asked BPD to issue a criminal trespass warning to Emmons, barring him from all campus property for a one-year period, although the incident on Saturday night actually occurred off campus, on public property.

Nichols also released a security alert to the Bowdoin community because of the physical nature of the encounter.

“When we issue a trespass warning for the campus, we’re not alleging that the person was on campus property. In this case, he wasn’t. It’s more of a preventative measure,” said Nichols. “We have a situation here where not only inappropriate language was alleged to have been used with a number of our students, but there was actually some physical contact which constitutes an assault, and that’s completely unacceptable and this person has lost his privileges.”

As of press time, charges have not been filed for assault and the student who was pushed is not likely to press charges, according to Nichols. If the College still does not want Emmons on its property after a year has passed, Security has the opportunity to extend the trespass warning. 

“[Bowdoin Security] has done that a number of times with people whom we’ve had real, serious concern about,” said Nichols. “But, generally speaking, as long as there are no problems over the course of the year, we let them expire.” 

In the midst of discussion about the encounter between Emmons and Bowdoin students, Security learned that BPD had received a noise complaint about the 17 Cleaveland Street property. Once the officers had dealt with Emmons, BPD issued a disorderly conduct warning because of the noise complaint. 

“They were related, but I think when the person called, all they were concerned with was the noise and they didn’t realize what was really happening,” said Nichols. “There were no charges filed and the students were really good at keeping the noise down for the rest of the night.”

On Thursday afternoon, Nichols met with Emmons. 

“Emmons was cooperative and apologized for his conduct. I reemphasized with him the constraints of the criminal trespass warning and he fully understands,” wrote Nichols in an email to the Orient.