Thursday, July 31, 2008
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A machete-wielding Jersey City man was taken into custody by police Tuesday night after he threw the machete and a weightlifting plate at police from his third-story window, officials said.

Raymond Garcia, 24, of Tonnelle Avenue near Van Reypen Avenue, was arrested at 7:27 p.m. and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, criminal mischief and weapons offenses, reports said.

Officers arriving at the location on a call of a man throwing objects from a window found him, covered with blood, hanging out of his window and waving the machete, reports said. Garcia threw the machete at the officers and a five-pound weight that crashed on top of a police car, reports said.

Garcia, who had blood smeared on his face, hands and arms, took a swing at one officer and pushed another cop who were outside his apartment, reports said.

Police Director Sam Jefferson said the officers used great restraint in a capturing Garcia in a situation in which they could have suffered severe injuries.