Repeat Offender Assaults, Chokes Officer In Middletown, Police Say
An Orange County police department is speaking out against bail reform laws after one of its officers was assaulted by an alleged repeat offender with a lengthy history of arrests and mental health-related incidents, authorities said.
The attack occurred on Friday, March 14, 2025, when 52-year-old Jerry Watkins, who is currently homeless, allegedly choked and assaulted a uniformed City of Middletown Police Department officer during an encounter, the department announced on Monday, March 17.
Watkins, who has had 28 documented interactions with law enforcement since January …
Morris County Njsp Recruit, 27, Dies At Hospital After Training Accident
A New Jersey State Police recruit from Morris County died Tuesday after going unconscious during a training exercise last week.
Lucas C. Homeijer, of Boonton, was participating in an active countermeasures boxing exercise with another classmate at the State Police academy in Sea Girt Borough when he went unconscious on Wednesday, Nov. 25, NJSP Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan said in a release.
Homeijer, a member of the 161st NJSP Academy Class, was treated by staff at the scene before being taken to a local hospital, where he later died, Callahan said.
“Deeply saddened by the tr…
