Millburn Police Clarify Case Of Man Who Allegedly Spat At Cops

MILLBURN, NJ — A spokesman for the Millburn Police Department clarified, on Wednesday, a report that a COVID-positive resident allegedly spat at two police officers.

State police Colonel Pat Callahan had said at Gov. Phil Murphy's press conference Monday that after the police responded to a domestic violence incident, a covid-positive man allegedly spat at them. READ MORE: NJ State Police Say COVID-Positive Man Spat At Millburn Cops

Callahan had said at the briefing, "Millburn police had responded to a domestic violence incident to a residence. That subject resisted arrest and ultimately spit on the arresting officer and was covid positive, so the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is reviewing additional charges that are pending against that [suspect] in addition to the EO [Executive Order] complaint."

Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Katherine Carter said Monday evening that ultimately, Millburn police charged the man with third degree aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer for the spitting, third degree terrorist threats, and a disorderly persons obstruction.

Millburn Police Captain David Bonney said Wednesday that the domestic violence wasn't actually occurring at the Millburn home, but police visited the home for a welfare check related to a domestic violence incident that had occurred in another town.

Bonney said that two officers were spat at, and that for confidentiality reasons, he can't comment on whether they later tested positive or negative for covid. But he said they are "both fine and back to work."

He said the three charges were related to the suspect's actions toward the officers, not toward another person.

READ MORE: NJ State Police Say COVID-Positive Man Spat At Millburn Cops

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