Lakewood Man Spit On Officers, Stripped During Arrest: Police

JACKSON, NJ — A Lakewood man who refused to put a face mask back on at a dollar store is facing multiple charges after Jackson police say he spit in an officer's face, spit all over another room and coughed at officers, claiming he had the coronavirus.

Marquise C. Cadet, 26, of Lakewood, was arrested following the incident at Dollar General, which was reported at 6:22 p.m. Monday, Jackson Capt. Steven Laskiewicz said. Cadet did not go quietly, however, fighting the arrest every step of the way, he said.

At police headquarters, Cadet wreaked havoc, flooding a holding cell, repeatedly cursing at officers and threatening them, Laskiewicz said. He spit in Officer Matthew Jamison’s face, then spit all over another room and coughed at officers, repeatedly claiming he had the coronavirus, Laskiewicz said. He then stripped and sat naked while officers processed the arrest.

Jamison and Officers Ryan Gladysz and Jody Benecke were called to the store at the Manhattan Street Plaza and told Cadet was refusing to put his mask back on and was purposely touching other customers in the store, Laskiewicz said.

The officers brought Cadet outside to speak with him. He refused to give his name despite multiple requests, saying he did not have to and that he was from another state and did not have identification on him, Laskiewicz said. At that point, police told him he was being arrested and that he needed to provide identification.

Cadet turned around and put his hands behind his back and told police to arrest him, but as they tried to handcuff him, he pulled away and ran. The officers caught him after a short chase and a struggle ensued before they finally handcuffed him, Laskieiwicz said.

He was searched and the officers found his New Jersey driver's license to identify him, he said.

That wasn't the end of Cadet's attempts to make things difficult for the arresting officers, Laskiewicz said.

When the officers tried to put him in the patrol car for the ride to police headquarters, Cadet fought their attempts to get him in the car and then to get a seatbelt on him. He was able to maneuver his hands from behind his body and get them to the front while seated, Laskiewicz said.

At police headquarters, Cadet cursed at the officers while also threatening to assault them. He spit in Jamison’s face and claimed that he had the coronavirus. Once they put Cadet in the holding cell, he put the mattress from the cot over the camera to block it and then used the toilet to flood the cell, Laskiewicz said.

Cadet was moved to another room, and as officers continued to try to process his arrest, he yelled obscenities at them, spat all over the room and coughed at officers, again claiming he had the coronavirus, he said.

For unknown reasons, he then took his clothes off and sat in the room naked, Laskiewicz said.

As officers from the oncoming patrol shift prepared to transport Cadet to the Ocean County Jail, they discovered he had freed himself from the transport belt in the rear of the patrol vehicle. The officers then had to take him out of the vehicle, where he again refused to comply and struggled with them, and re-secure him for the transport to the jail, where he was eventually lodged.

Cadet’s actions also required an immediate cleaning and disinfecting of the cell block area where he was processed.

Cadet has been charged with obstruction, resisting arrest, hindering apprehension, fourth-degree aggravated assault (throwing bodily fluids at law enforcement officers while in performance of their duties) and second-degree terroristic threats (made during a state of emergency), he said.

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