After more than 30 minutes of negotiations, a tactical response team overtook the man and subdued him. According to Lt. Frank Cannella, who is the tactical response team commander for the North Bergen police, Manuel Cabrera, 30, of the 7200 block of Tonnelle Ave., was arrested and charged with an assortment of weapons and assault charges after the incident.
Canella said that North Bergen police responded to a domestic violence call at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday morning at the residence located directly across the street from the Target Store.
"The suspect's girlfriend called police and just wanted him out," Cannella said. "Apparently, he had been drinking the night before and became violent."
Girlfriend wanted their son
When two North Bergen police units arrived and entered the residence, Cabrera allegedly first agreed to leave without an incident.
"He wasn't dressed, so he went downstairs to get some clothes on," Cannella said. "The patrolmen followed him downstairs to watch him."
Cannella said that four North Bergen police officers - Ramon DeJesus, Otto Cruz, Angelo Forese, and Gary Lowman - followed Cabrera to the basement area, where Cabrera's 3-year-old son was apparently sleeping.
"It was then that he became confrontational with the police officers," Cannella said. "He tried to get his son dressed and said that he was taking his son with him. The officers told him that he couldn't take his son with him, because the boy's mother didn't want him to leave. But the suspect said that he was taking his son with him anyway and proceeded to continue to dress the boy."
When the officers tried to reason with Cabrera again, he apparently became irate.
"He [allegedly] said that he wasn't leaving without his son and that they had to shoot him to stop him," Cannella said. "The officers tried to defuse the situation, but then they noticed that he [allegedly] was holding an 8-inch screwdriver to his son and said he wasn't going to release the son."
At that point, Lt. Scott Sullivan, the supervisory official on duty, arrived at the scene and tried talking to the suspect to calm him down or release the child. "Those negotiations went on for about 30 minutes," Cannella said. "He just wouldn't release the boy."
Butcher knife
Finally, Cabrera released the child to police custody, but when he did, he then allegedly grabbed a 12-inch butcher knife.
"He had the butcher knife in one hand and the screwdriver in the other," Cannella said. "How he got the knife, we don't know. We don't know where it came from, considering he was in the boy's bedroom."
At that point, Cabrera allegedly made a bizarre demand.
"He said to the police, 'You're going to have to shoot me or I'll slit my throat,'" Cannella said. "He actually put the knife to his throat and was screaming, 'Shoot me, shoot me.'"
At that point, it became an official standoff. Detective Henry Marrero was brought it as a negotiator, but Cabrera allegedly didn't want to speak to him.
"Forese and Sullivan continued to talk to the suspect for about an hour, while we devised a plan to try to subdue the suspect," Cannella said. "They tried to convince the suspect to simply give himself up."
Officer Robert Scudiere and Cannella then put on their full tactical suits and carried a shield toward the suspect.
"As other officers were distracting him, we rushed him with the shield after spraying him with pepper spray," Cannella said. "At that point, we were able to disarm him and bring him into custody."
After receiving immediate treatment from emergency medical personnel to disinfect the suspect and the arresting officers from the pepper spray, Cabrera was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center for a psychiatric examination.
"He [allegedly] said to the people at the hospital that he was ready to commit a murder," Cannella said.
Charges
Cabrera was later arraigned and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, one count of possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, one count of an unlawful possession of a weapon, resisting arrest, making terroristic threats, criminal restraint and harassment. He was transported to Hudson County Jail and was awaiting an appearance in front of a Central Judicial Processing judge Wednesday afternoon, where bail was going to be set.
Cannella said that the situation was handled well.
"All of the officers showed excellent restraint, considering it was a deadly force issue," Cannella said. "They should be commended, because it could have been a very lengthy hostage situation."
Cannella said that to him, it looked as if Cabrera wanted to have his life ended by the police.
"It really looked like a suicide-by-cop situation," Cannella said. "Thank God, no one got hurt, not even the suspect."
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at either OGSMAR@aol.com or jhague@hudsonreporter.com
"He actually put the knife to his throat and was screaming, 'Shoot me, shoot me.'" - Lt. Frank Cannella
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