Dei-Chaos: New Canaan Standoff Man Erupts in Court; Held on $250,000 Bond

The New Canaan man arrested following a weekend standoff with police argued with a public defender and judge here in a state Superior Court in Norwalk Monday afternoon, disputing claims he threatened Weston residents and shouting he never knew police had a warrant for his arrest.

"I did not threaten people," Scott DeiCas , 48, a former school bus driver in Weston, asserted in court.

DeiCas was arrested Saturday morning after an all-night standoff for allegedly making threats through e-mail and Internet postings against school board, town government and police officials in Weston. He also is accused of threatening New Canaan police, online and through e-mail.

Handcuffed and surrounded by three court officers, DeiCas heard prosecutors list the charges against him -- second-degree harassment and third-degree computer crimes. When Judge Bruce Hudock said he was interested to know more about the standoff, DeiCas raised his voice over the public defender representing him, Matt Popilowski, as well as Hudock, saying: "I can tell you about the nature of the standoff."

Hudock then warned: "Sir, don't make any statements that may tend to incriminate yourself."

DeiCas -- looking bedraggled in loose-fitting clothing and alternating between hanging his head and staring wide-eyed at the judge and others -- said he would not.

"I have a statement that won't incriminate myself," DeiCas said. "I can clarify what happened. They never told me they had any warrant. OK? They never told me they had a warrant."

In arguing for DeiCas' release on a promise to appear, Popilowski noted that DeiCas had just one prior arrest – for breach of peace in 2004 – and that he was a lifelong New Canaan resident who had family members in court. The state then asked for $500,000 bond.

Prosecutor Nicole Peco said DeiCas had "threatened the Weston, Connecticut, town government, the police department and the school board."

"He has been posting things on YouTube saying he is gong to kill everyone in Weston town government," Peco said. "When New Canaan went to effectuate this arrest, there was a 12-hour standoff with the police department."

Hudock said he recommended the $250,000 bond – as well as DeiCas' cooperation with the Franklin S. Dubois Center, an outpatient service of the Connecticut Mental Health System – not only because of the alleged threats but also because of the standoff.

"I want to know more about the standoff," Hudock said.

As Patch reported first, DeiCas was arrested Saturday morning after barricading himself for 10 hours at his mother's New Canaan home. Part of the negotiation with police was captured in a comment exchange on a YouTube page that DeiCas has used to advocate for the use of LSD.

New Canaan Police Lt. David Bender and Sgt. John DiFederico told Patch today the incident represents the first time the town's police ever used a Web-based comment exchange for negotiations.

Eventually DeiCas surrendered. Concerned that DeiCas' mother was still insidethe house at 295 Ponus Ridge, police waited until she had left and then, shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday, used a flashbang – a device that emits a bright light and loud noise, to create a distraction – and a Greenwich Police Department K-9.

Peco said New Canaan police are expected to file separate charges this week.

DiFederico said that his department is still investigating and does not yet know "what the extent or charges will be," but confirmed that drug-related charges would be included. Substances removed from the DeiCas house have been sent for testing, he confirmed.

A further condition of DeiCas' bond is that he have no contact with any government officials, Hudock said.

DeiCas is scheduled to appear again on Aug. 16 in state Superior Court in Norwalk.

His' mother, Wilma DeiCas, who wore a concerned expression as she looked on while the bond was set, declined to speak to Patch afterwards. She could be seen prior to the procedings passing a piece of paper to a court bailiff, requesting that he pass it to her son. It included phone numbers for DeiCas' brother, sister and cousin, she said.