Man accused of airport threat to be evaluated

BRIDGEPORT — An Oxford man, who police said threatened to turn Sikorsky Memorial Airport into a “crater,” has been referred for a mental health evaluation.

After meeting with state prosecutors Thursday morning, a lawyer for Joseph Cyr said his client is innocent.

“Joseph has the support of many of his coworkers and classmates at the airport, several of whom were present during the alleged incident. There is another side to the story and it is a side that investigators did not care to report or bother to learn. Once all the facts and circumstances are before the court, it will become apparent that nothing criminal occurred,” said Michael A. Fitzpatrick.

Cyr, who was an aircraft mechanic in training at the Stratford School for Aviation Maintenance Technicians, was charged by state police with two counts of first-degree threatening and one count of second-degree breach of peace.

He is free after posting $50,000.

Following the meeting with prosecutors in the Golden Hill Street courthouse, Fitzpatrick said the case was continued to March 29.

State police said on Feb. 17, they were contacted by two people who said Cyr had made threats toward the aviation school, which is located on the Sikorsky airport campus at 200 Great

Meadow

Road.

Police said both complainants and Cyr were students school.

They said one of the complainants said he had been watching a graduation at the school in December when Cyr stated, “Me and my buddy are going to shoot up graduation.”

Police said the other complainant told them he had been in a bathroom at the school on Feb. 16 when Cyr came in and said that if he was kicked out of the school, he would turn the airport into a crater.

“If I’m going down everyone is going down with me,” state police said Cyr told the other student.

State police said the principal of the school, John Ryan, said he was aware of the situation and had given Cyr a five-day suspension from the school. at the

Cyr