Suspect Allegedly Grabs Hoboken Police Officer's Gun, Then Bites

HOBOKEN, NJ — A suspect allegedly grabbed a Hoboken police officer's gun in the wee hours of Friday morning, then allegedly bit another officer.

The incident began around 2:21 a.m., when Hoboken Police Sgt. Donald Rosso was on patrol at Observer Highway and Henderson Street, near Kobrick’s Coffee Factory on the Hoboken/Jersey City border.

According to a release from the police, Rosso observed a man allegedly break into the trunk of a 2019 BMW parked nearby.

Rosso approached the man, who allegedly fled north toward the Observer Highway firehouse. After a four-block foot pursuit, Rosso, along with officers Christopher Barral and Josh Campoverde, stopped the suspect at 56 Jefferson St.

A violent struggle ensued. Lt. Mike Costello, Sgt. Anthony Russo, and Officer Jesse Castellano arrived to assist.

The suspect allegedly tried to push the officers away and allegedly grabbed Barral’s gun and began to remove it from his holster.

Barrel yelled “He has my gun!" according to the report. But Barral, Russo, and Campoverde were able to use their strength to "keep the suspect from gaining full possession of the weapon."

According to the release, "The officers were finally able to secure Barral’s weapon but the suspect [allegedly] continued his fight, attempting to grab the holsters of Sgt. Russo and Officer Campoverde. The officers were finally able to get the suspect handcuffed. During the handcuffing, the suspect [allegedly] bit Sgt. Russo on the shin."

Costello, Campoverde, and Barral also sustained injuries during the arrest. Costello and Campoverde were cleared to resume work on their next shift while Officer Barral is out with a hand injury that will be re-assessed in three weeks, according to the release.

“I cannot find the exact words that can adequately describe how proud I am of the valor, courage and professionalism showed by these officers during this scene," said Hoboken Chief Ken Ferrante. "They all showed the true restraint from using deadly force, and they deserve the utmost credit for being able to accomplish this apprehension without using it, and without seriously injuring the suspect."

Ferrante added, "Everyone needs to realize this criminal act, during a pandemic and State of Emergency, not only threatened the lives of the officers involved, but also brought extra exposures to those officers, the EMS workers who had to treat the suspect and officers, the Emergency Room staff who had to tend to them."

Suspect Lonnie Clark, 38, of Jersey City, was brought to the Hudson County Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility in Kearny.

He was charged with burglary, theft, obstructing by flight, resisting arrest by force, disarming a law enforcement officer, and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.

The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.