Cops: Man Who Once Shot Fellow Actor During Skit Is At It Again, Charged With Not Complying With Police

A Hopatcong man and former “Wild West” re-enactor who once shot a fellow actor during a skit was arrested again Saturday afternoon - this time after getting into an argument with his girlfriend over a belt buckle that didn’t fit, and then chasing a car, police said.

Hopatcong Police Officer Maresca responded to the parking lot of Johnny’s Marina for a report of a man chasing a car, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said. When Maresca arrived, he found DaSean Sears, 26, throwing tree-climbing equipment from the back of his truck into the parking lot, Kmetz said.

Maresca attempted to engage in a conversation with Sears, but the man would not respond, Kmetz said. At that point, Sears quickly walked to the front of his vehicle and opened the driver’s side door and was ordered to stop, Kmetz said. Rather than complying, Sears then reached into the center console of his vehicle, Kmetz said.

At that time Maresca ordered Sears to again stop and put his hands up, but the man did not comply, Kmetz said. Feeling threatened, Maresca physically took Sears to the ground and placed handcuffs on him, Kmetz said.

When the officer asked Sears what the issue was, the Hopatcong man said he was “having a bad day,” Kmetz said.

The incident stemmed from Sears having an argument with his girlfriend over a belt buckle that did not fit properly, Kmetz said. The argument made Sears “go off,” Kmetz said. The man then threw a rock at his own truck and sped away to Johnny’s Marina where Maresca located him, Kmetz said.

Sears was arrested and taken to headquarters, where he told police he tends to have bad days. At that point, Sears was taken to Newton Hospital to speak with a counselor about his anger, Kmetz said.

In 2006, working as a re-enactor for Wild West City, Sears shot and paralyzed a fellow actor during a skit. The incident was long believed to be accidental and that the gun Sears was using had mistakenly been loaded with real bullets rather than blanks.

A civil suit was brought against Wild West City in 2008, but attorneys for the amusement park attempted to have the suit dismissed earlier this year, according to nj.com, because there is evidence the shooting was intentional and not accidental. Sears pleaded guilty in 2007 to causing bodily injury with a deadly weapon and served six months probation.