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The 31-year-old Hillcrest Avenue man began screaming at officers from Wood-Ridge, Carlstadt, Hasbrouck Heights and Moonachie to get out as they arrived Monday night.
“He told the officers to kill him or he would kill himself,” Detective Joseph Rutigliano Jr. told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
He then began advancing on them with the weapon, Rutigliano said.
“The officers showed great restraint, giving him some room,” he said. “They began talking to him, pleading wth him to drop the knife.”
At one point, an officer gave him a cigarette.
After about a half hour, the man gave the knife to Moonachie Police Sgt. Tom Schmidt and surrendered.
He was taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center.
Joining Schmidt were Wood-Ridge Sgt. Thomas Battaglia and Officers Mark Torsiello and Ptl. Joseph Manfredonia, Hasbrouck Heights Sgt. Ian Robertson and Detective Joseph Armeli and Carlstadt Sgt. Thomas Negro.
“No one was injured and a life was saved,” Rutigliano said. “That’s what matters.”
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