SELBYVILLE — A holiday weekend concert featuring a nationally-known country band at The Freeman Stage at Bayside was cancelled abruptly after two suspects, one of whom is now in custody, made a terroristic threat at the popular venue in Selbyville.
Around 2:55 p.m. last Sunday, two male suspects entered the Welcome Center at Americana Bayside in Selbyville and made alarming statements to an employee at the desk regarding The Band Perry concert at the Freeman Stage at Bayside scheduled for later that evening. The suspects reportedly inquired about the consequences for jumping the fence initially and then asked what would happen if they jumped the fence with guns before leaving the center.
Due to their whereabouts being unknown, The Band Perry, Freeman Stage at Bayside officials and state and local law enforcement agencies decided to postpone the concert to a later date.
Shortly after Delaware State Police (DSP) issued a press release and posted surveillance pictures of the suspects on social media platforms, several tips were sent in to DSP detectives working the case and two suspects were quickly identified. One suspect, identified as Dzmitry N. Papou, 35, of Selbyville, contacted DSP troopers and then responded to a DSP barrack in Georgetown where he turned himself in after learning his photos had been sent to local media.
Papou has been charged with one count of felony terroristic threatening and was arraigned before being released on a $20,000 unsecured bond and was ordered to have no contact with Americana Bayside. Through his own social media platforms, it appears Papou is a pilot and sky-diving enthusiast. A second suspect has been identified, but had not yet been arrested as of mid-week. DSP troopers said the investigation is active and ongoing and specific details related to the second suspect would not be released.
The Freeman Stage at Bayside officials reacted quickly after the threats were made on Sunday afternoon and postponed the concert after consulting with law enforcement and the band’s representation.
“A security concern arose during the early evening of July 3 when two male subjects made alarming statements to an employee at the Welcome Center in the Bayside community in regards to the performance of The Band Perry,” the statement reads. “After this news was brought to our attention, we met with local and state authorities as well as artist management to make the best decision for the safety of all. The investigation is active and ongoing with the Delaware State Police. Although disappointing news, we are pleased that we can reschedule The Band Perry concert on Wednesday, Aug. 17. We look forward to welcoming back our loyal patrons to all future performances at The Freeman Stage at Bayside.”
The Freeman Stage at Bayside officials thanked the Delaware State Police and allied law enforcement for their quick response to the terroristic threat on Sunday afternoon.
“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 on Sunday,” the statement reads. “We will see this investigation through the final outcome and continue to make our patrons’ safety our number one priority. We look forward to celebrating the arts with our patrons at The Freeman Stage at Bayside.”
For their part, The Band Perry, a trio of siblings, quickly got the word out to their fans about the concert’s postponement through their own social media platforms.
“To our friends and fans in Delaware, due to heightened security concerns and for the safety of our fans, the show has been rescheduled for Aug. 17,” the statement reads. “While we are sad we don’t get to see you tonight, we love you and consider your well-being and security our top priority. We will see you soon.”
Meanwhile, Freeman Stage at Bayside officials issued information on how to use tickets and where. For example, tickets for the postponed July 3 concert will be honored at the Aug. 17 event and those who originally chose to pick up their tickets at Will Call can still do so. Those who have tickets but cannot attend on the make-up date will be offered refunds through July 15 at 5 p.m.
Credit card refunds for concert ticket purchases will be processed within five to 10 business days. Those who used a gift certificate to purchase The Band Perry tickets can contact the Freeman Stage at Bayside at 302-436-3015 to make refund arrangements. Tickets for the July 3 concert cannot be exchanged for other tickets at the rescheduled The Band Perry concert in August, however, tickets can be exchanged for another future Freeman Stage performance during the 2016 season. Tickets returned from the July 3 The Band Perry concert will be made available for purchase beginning Tuesday, July 19 at 9 a.m. Those tickets can be bought by visiting www.freemanstage.org or by calling 302-436-3015 after the appointed date and time.
