Teen Grabs Gun From Police Officer During Domestic Violence Probe In Bergen County: Cops

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ — A man who was being investigated for a domestic violence incident on Thursday grabbed a police officer's gun and was tackled to the ground, police said.

Gabriel Hernandez-Caldero, 19, of Lodi was arrested in Hasbrouck Heights and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and other offenses, said Captain John Behr.

Around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, police responded to a business near Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue on a report of a possible domestic dispute, Behr said.

Officers Johanna Sanchez, Alessandro Ciminata, and Det. Cosimo Marino investigated. They determined that a man had ripped a phone from a woman's hand during a dispute and fled the area.

As police were gathering information, the accused man returned, got out of his car, and advanced toward the victim, police said — "physically attempting to force his way through officers and failing to obey verbal commands."

Officers brought him to the ground, where he continued to resist arrest, Behr said.

Then, he grabbed a police officer's gun from the holster, Behr said.

All available Hasbrouck Heights police responded, as did the Wood-Ridge and Carlstadt police.

Hernandez-Caldero was taken into custody and brought to the Bergen County jail.

His charges were:

• Aggravated assault on a police officer — three counts
• Disarming a police officer
• Robbery
• Resisting arrest
• Obstruction
• Disorderly conduct

Chief Jeffrey Werner commended the police for their professionalism and thanked the Wood-Ridge and Carlstadt departments for their mutual aid response.