Crime & Safety
Machete-Wielding Essex County Pit Bull Owner Bites Cops: Police
Police say 2 officers got bit while making an arrest in Essex County. But it wasn't the dog that did the chomping.
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A pair of police officers got bit while arresting a machete-wielding suspect who sicced his pit bull terrier on them in Essex County on Wednesday night. But according to the Newark Police Department, it wasn’t the dog that did the chomping.
On Wednesday evening, police in Maplewood notified their Newark peers about an alleged road rage incident that took place on Irvington Avenue. The victim stated that a male suspect had punctured his vehicle with a knife, authorities said.
Officers responded to the scene, where they found the road rage suspect - Melvin Woodson, 46, of Newark - sitting in his car in a parking lot on Irvington Avenue. As the officers approached the vehicle, Woodson allegedly opened his car door and ordered his dog to attack the officers. Woodson then got out of the car armed with a machete and tried to ward the officers off, police said.
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The Newark officers managed to subdue Woodson, but not before he bit two of them. The officers were able to secure the dog in a police car without sustaining further injuries, authorities said.
Emergency responders transported the injured officers to University Hospital where they were treated for their bite wounds. Woodson was also taken to University Hospital for evaluation, authorities said.
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The pit bull is being housed at the Associated Humane Society in Newark, police said.
Authorities charged Woodson with three counts with three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Criminal Mischief, Resisting Arrest, Obstructing the Administration of the Law and Simple Assault.
Note: This article has been updated with information from the Newark Department of Public Safety, which originally stated that Woodson was armed with a hatchet.
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Photo: NJ State Police PBA
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