ADAMS -- A 59-year-old man arrested after initiating Sunday's Park Street evacuation was arraigned and released on personal recognizance in Northern Berkshire District Court on Tuesday.
James V. Bourdon, of Highland Avenue in West Springfield, is charged with lewdness, open and gross indecent exposure, and possession of an unsecured and loaded weapon. Judge Rita Koenigs sat for the arraignment, and declined a request from the commonwealth to set Bourdon's bail at $5,000 on account of his mental state.
Bourdon was arrested Sunday morning by Adams police after employees of Park Street's Daily Grind reported him masturbating in his vehicle outside the restaurant. After the arrest, "items of concern" in Bourdon's car prompted authorities to close Park Street for four hours while a State Police Bomb Squad unit was flown in from Boston to investigate.
It came to light in court Tuesday that Bourdon had a note posted in his vehicle Sunday stating that the doors were rigged to a bomb that would explode if opened. A loaded rifle, a CO2 tank, jumper cables and other miscellaneous items were later found in the vehicle.
Forty residents were evacuated from the area, the First Congregational Church on Park Street canceled its Sunday service, and the town's Veterans Day ceremony was moved from the Town Hall lawn to the Adams Visitors Center.
Bourdon's attorney, Mark J. Pasquariello, and the defendant attributed his actions Sunday to
"I have a serious case of Parkinson's [disease]," Bourdon told the court.
Pasquariello also stated that Bourdon had been "very forthcoming" and "cooperative" with police.
The defendant was characterized as a self-taught electrical engineer, a 1971 graduate of Charles H. McCann Technical School, and a former employee of General Electric. He's been disabled due to his illness for the past six years and has received Social Security disability income.
Bourdon was in town Sunday visiting his father, who lives in a local elderly housing facility.
A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for Dec.12.
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