New details emerge in Freeman Stage threat case

He wanted a ticket to a concert. Instead, he got one to jail.

Delaware State Police declined to specify Tuesday what Dzmitry N. Papou said that led to his arrest on a felony charge of terroristic threatening. But an arrest report obtained by The Daily Times provides more details into the incident, which prompted the Freeman Stage to cancel Sunday's sold-out show featuring The Band Perry.

Two men walked into the Americana Bayside Welcome Center office at 2:55 p.m. Sunday and asked whether any tickets were still available for the country group's concert later that evening, according to the report. When a front-desk employee told them it was sold out, the men grew agitated.

Papou, seen wearing a purple T-shirt and flip flops in surveillance imagery, asked what would happen if he and his friend jumped the fence. The Welcome Center employee responded that security would remove them and possibly have them arrested.

Then, Papou asked what would happen if they were to "jump the fence with guns," the investigating officer wrote in the report, citing an interview with the unnamed employee.

The employee, growing alarmed, pointed the men toward pamphlets with a list of upcoming events. They left soon afterward.

But they had already triggered a cascade of events that would lead to more than 2,000 fans being turned away at the gates that evening and to Papou's arrest the following night.

Immediately after the alleged threats were made, event organizers met with state and local authorities and the band’s management and decided to call off the show. Security measures at the venue had increased following the shooting death of Christina Grimmie, the contestant from NBC's The Voice who was fatally shot after a show last month in Orlando, Florida.

The show was called off just 15 minutes before opener Melissa Alesi was set to take the stage.

"We are thankful and appreciative of the timely work of the Delaware State Police and the community’s support following the incident that took place Sunday," the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, which operates the Selbyville area venue, said in a statement Tuesday. "We will see this investigation through the final outcome and continue to make our patrons' safety our No. 1 priority."

Meanwhile, Papou, 35, of Selbyville, turned himself in at Troop 4 in Georgetown on Monday night after local media released photos of him and another man, Master Cpl. Gary Fournier said. He was charged and released on $20,000 bail.

Papou denied the threat accusations, telling police that neither he nor his friend made any statements about jumping the fence with guns.

READ MORE:  Delaware State Police arrest a man they say made threats before The Band Perry's concert in Delaware

Police say they've identified the second man involved in the threats, but have not arrested him. Because the investigation is ongoing, police said they have not released any additional details.

Contacted a second time, the office employee affirmed to police that the man in the purple shirt — Papou — had made the threats, according to arrest documents.

The show has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17, said Alyson Cunningham, a spokeswoman for the foundation. Those that bought tickets can also get refunds.

So far, Cunningham said, the organization has not received any negative feedback from patrons in regards to postponing the show.

"I think the patrons that were planning on attending and any patron of the Freeman Stage was happy to hear that safety was our No. 1 concern," she said.

The show Sunday was part of a summer concert series that includes Pat Benatar and Melissa Etheridge on July 13, Huey Lewis and the News on July 27 and Gladys Knight on Aug. 19.

Staff writer Brittany Horn of The News-Journal contributed to this report.

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