By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First
The homeless Burlington man who has had more than 1,850 contacts with police in recent years, is back behind bars after he trespassed and was threatening violence at a city church on Sunday, according to Burlington Police.
A state judge ordered Michael P. Reynolds Jr., 47, held for lack of $200 bail on misdemeanor charges of unlawful trespass and disorderly conduct at the First Unitarian Universalist Society Church at the corner of Pearl and Church Streets in downtown Burlington.
Reynolds, a thorn in the side of the criminal justice and mental health systems in Vermont, was jailed at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town. He is due for arraignment on Tuesday in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington.
Reynolds is the man that caused Progressive Party Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak to impose a Gag Order on Police Chief Jon Murad releasing public information about criminal arrests and crimes in Burlington.
While the arrest information is all public by law, Mulvaney-Stanak ordered all press releases to be sent to her office for review and possible editing before they are distributed to the news media.
The police department has been using the same press release policy since 2011 without a problem, but State’s Attorney Sarah George reached out recently to the new Mayor asking her to muzzle the chief, officials said.
The latest news release about Reynolds arrest on Sunday said it was approved by the “Mayor’s Office (Erin Jacobson),” who is the chief of staff.
The Sunday incident unfolded as a caller reported that Reynolds, who had been banned previously from the church, had returned unlawfully to the property, police said.
“Minutes later the caller called back and advised that Reynolds had again returned to the property and is refusing to leave,” Detective Lt. Richard Weinisch said.
Police officers arrived at the scene and found Reynolds trespassing, he said.
“Witnesses described Reynolds’ threatening behavior which created fear amongst the patrons of the place of worship,” Weinisch said.
Officers arrested Reynolds and transported him back to the police station where he was processed for unlawful trespass and disorderly conduct and taken to jail, police said.