Man Fatally Shoots Self With Officer's Gun At Police Headquarters

HILLSIDE, NJ — A man who was arrested and handcuffed at Hillside Police Department headquarters grabbed an officer’s service weapon and took his own life on Friday afternoon, acting Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan announced.

The man has been identified as 41-year-old Jermaine Covington of Baltimore, Maryland.

At around 1 p.m. on Friday, Covington left the scene of a car crash in Union Township. Police chased after him but cut the pursuit short due to safety concerns, Monahan said.

Covington was spotted again later that afternoon by Union police. He allegedly tried to run from the car and carjack a different vehicle when he was arrested by members of the Hillside Police Department.

At around 4:45 p.m. Friday, while handcuffed to a bar in an area for processing suspects at Hillside Police Department headquarters, Covington grabbed a firearm from a passing officer’s holster and fatally shot himself. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Monahan said.

The circumstances of this incident remain under investigation.

(Image via Google Maps: Hillside Police Department)

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