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Judge overturns resisting arrest conviction against ex-Jersey City cop involved in 2008 standoff

By Daniel Reyes/The Jersey Journal
on January 25, 2013 at 3:50 PM,
updated January 25, 2013 at 4:01 PM

A Hudson County Superior Court judge today overturned one of three disorderly-persons convictions against an ex-Jersey City cop involved in a bizarre 2008 standoff with a SWAT team.

Larry Martin, 62, was found guilty in 2011 of resisting arrest, obstructing a governmental function and simple assault in municipal court after a standoff in The Heights on Nov. 20, 2008 between Martin and heavily armed officers and Port Authority SWAT Team members. The standoff ended with Martin punching two officers.


fullJJ piece?

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... _one_of.html#incart_river

after going through what I did and being privy to information through discovery in my lawsuit against the JCPD...after all was said and done I asked myself...wow, what would it take for a Jersey City Cop to actually get fired. This article answers my question.

Basically you can F$3k around for about 12 years doing all sorts of shady and undisciplined things and god knows what else to the citizens of JC...but getting into an armed standoff with your fellow officers is what it takes to get prosecuted by Hudson County and even then you won't get fired unless you are first convicted.

How does this work again? Does this guy now show up on the fire department payroll?

Good to know the JCPD knew this guy was an ass-hole back in 1998 and 'disciplined a number of times', but continued to keep him on. His wife should sue the PD for stupidity and a risk to the community.

Just like Healy's nephew who was a known drunk at another PD before his arrival at JCPD where he maintained his drinking habits and killed innocent motorists while DUI - It would seem JCPD will take any ass-wipe with a bad history or poor behavior to wear a badge. JCPD is one of the highest paid police departments, yet attracts the worst police officers.

We should demand a freedom of Information request to see how many other officers have a disciplinary issue and a brief on what their behavior and character was like before they arrived to work at JCPD. We should demand a complete transparency on what type of cops we have working for us - The FOI could simply list all the officers by number and their history.

Officials: Jersey City cop will be fired after conviction for assault, resisting arrest in 2008 standoff

December 29, 2011, 8:38 PM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

A Jersey City cop will be fired after his conviction today for assault and resisting arrest related to his senseless standoff with heavily armed police officers in the Heights in 2008, officials said.

"There will be a hearing on the subject early next year," Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said of proceedings to fire Officer Larry Martin, 61, following his conviction related to the Nov. 20, 2008 standoff at his Lincoln Street home.

Martin, who has been disciplined a number of times, has been suspended without pay since the standoff.

He was originally charged criminally with resisting arrest, obstructing justice, and two counts of aggravated assault, but the charges were remanded to municipal court and he was convicted today on disorderly persons counts, officials said.

The incident began when a woman at Martin's home called for an ambulance but declined treatment when it arrived, officials said.

As the EMTs left, another woman there told them Martin had a gun, without identifying him or saying he was an officer, officials said.

That brought heavily armed Jersey City Emergency Services Unit police officer and Port Authority SWAT Team members to the street and they staged around the home.

Police spoke to Martin through the door and he did not identified himself as a police officer.

A hostage negotiator spoke to Martin on the phone and he was abrupt, uncooperative and did not identify himself, officials said.

As the SWAT teams prepared to enter, women thought to have been hostages began to exit, partially dissipating the situation.

"Eventually, Martin let police in, but he did not comply with their request to put his hands in the air, nor did he identify himself," a city spokesman said at the time. "The lack of cooperation led to a confrontation and Martin punched two officers."

It was not until backup officers arrived that Martin was recognized as a police officer, officials said.

After missing a firearm training session in 2005 Martin was suspended for eight days. He asked the Merit Board to review the matter and the board upped the suspension to 120 days, citing his "significant prior major disciplinary history," court papers say.

In 1998, Martin received an eight-day suspension for being unfit for duty because he could not carry a weapon due to a restraining order. In 1999 he was suspended for 29 days for assault and other charges, court papers say.

In 2001, he was fined 30 days' pay "due to inability to perform his duty and disobedience of laws, regulations, and orders." In 2004 he was suspended for 60 days for failing to safeguard a firearm, court papers says.

In 2008 the widow of Jose Ponce Jr., 38, of Bayonne, was awarded $360,000 as a result of a suit alleging Martin's negligence caused the crash that killed her husband. In 1999 Martin was driving a Lincoln Town Car when he made a U-turn on Kennedy Boulevard near Bond street and Ponce's motorcycle slammed into it its side.

Jersey City cops back off 'standoff' claim against fellow officer with troubles in past

by Michaelangelo Conte
The Jersey Journal
Saturday November 22, 2008


Jersey City Police Officer Larry Martin is arraigned in Central Judicial Processing Court on some charges relating to what cops had called a standoff Thursday night but now say was a misunderstanding.

An off-duty Jersey City police officer's stubbornness and failure to identify himself as a cop led to an escalating confrontation at his Heights home and his arrest on charges he punched two fellow officers, officials said yesterday.

Following the incident on Thursday night, officials had said Police Officer Larry Martin, 58, of Lincoln Street, had triggered a standoff with heavily armed officers who feared he was holding a woman and child against their will. But yesterday, officials backed off that claim against Martin, who has had other troubles in the past.

"After interviews, we found Martin never threatened anyone, his weapon never came into play and the (people) were never held against their wishes," Jersey City spokesman Stan Eason said last night. "All the charges against Martin are based on his actions after police officers entered his apartment."

Martin, a 23-year veteran of the police department, appeared in court yesterday on two counts of aggravated assault, and one each of obstructing justice and resisting arrest.

"This kind of behavior is inexplicable," said Police Chief Tom Comey.

His bail was set at $25,000 and his lawyer said he would not be able to post bail. The judge agreed to recommend Martin be housed in segregation in Hudson County jail, in Kearny, for his protection. The officer has been suspended without pay and relieved of his gun, officials said.

"The arriving officers got no cooperation from Officer Martin. He did not identify himself and they did not recognize him," Eason said, adding that they spoke to Martin through a closed or partially open door. "A hostage negotiator reached Martin by telephone, but the efforts were short-lived and met by noncooperation."

Officers were gearing up for a serious situation, but over the next half-hour the three women and one child in the home walked out. They said there was no hostage situation and no one had threatened them.

The bizarre incident began at 7 p.m. when a woman at Martin's home called for an ambulance because she was suffering chest pain, but declined treatment when it arrived, said Eason. As the EMTs left, another woman at the residence told them Martin had a gun, without identifying him by name or saying he was an officer, Eason said.

"Eventually, Martin let police in, but he did not comply with their request to put his hands in the air, nor did he identify himself," Eason said. "The lack of cooperation led to a confrontation and Martin punched two officers. Martin never identified himself until backup officers arrived at the scene and recognized him."

Anyone suffering from work related stress is entitled to behave just like this cop and any victim should show tolerance !
This sort of consideration should be given to all people who commit a crime . . .

Quote:

I think people seem to forget that Cops are humans also and have the same faults and weaknesses as the rest of us and thats being very naive.

This guy obviously cracked for whatever reason.

Lets not all sit in judgement.

It's unfortunate but alot of the times the women dont want action and it's because they fear it'll be worst on them when their partner gets out. Not to mention, their partner is probably the bread earner and with him/her gone that will be diminished. It's sad but reality. More than likely she told the cops everything was okay and her and her husband were just having a verbal argument (nothing illegal about that). I've tried to convince ppl to get help and no matter what you tell people.... it's up to them. When they are ready and are tired of the BS then maybe she'll decide to stand up against him. You gotta remember there is only so much a cop can do.

Now on that same note, if they saw her beat to a pulp and if he's there.. he'll be going with police escort.

He'll lose his job and will face criminal charges if the girlfriend/wife follows through with her complaint... ie domestic violence. JCPD doesn't play with fools who beat or harm their significant others.

Unfortunately, he slipped through the cracks and became a cop. At least no one was hurt and he's in custody.

I hope you win the $20 bet devbeep, for all our sakes !

Quote:

What are you, a time machine?

I, devbeep, bet you, fat-ass-bike, $20, with jclist.com as my witness, that the charges will not be dropped.

It would be funny if this is one of the cops that beat the beat that guy who they mistakenly thought was a thief.

Hmmm.......a mentally and psychologically unstable person wearing JCPD blue?

Hard to imagine.

What's the bet the cop claims some sort of mental stress that is related to his job that caused this incident and gets to live off a fat pension for the rest of his life!

What about all the people who he had been in contact with through his job of being a cop ! Did he ever show aggression to them, did anyone report any aggression by him, or was there anyone out there that felt this cop didn't give a crap when they had called for help and this cop attended?

Any charges against him will be dropped - Welcome to JC !

Police: Jersey City off-duty cop arrested tonight after tense standoff

by The Jersey Journal
Thursday November 20, 2008, 9:16 PM

An off-duty Jersey City police officer was arrested tonight after he barricaded himself inside a Lincoln Street house with a woman and young child and held police at bay for more than an hour, officials said.

The woman and child were not harmed, said officials who refused to identify the officer, but said they would do so tomorrow.

The incident at 34 Lincoln St. began around 7:30 p.m. when paramedics arrived at the residence responding to a 911 call, officials said.

The off-duty cop refused to let the paramedics enter the house and they called police when it became clear a weapon might be involved, city spokesman Stan H. Eason said.

The stand-off continued for more than an hour after police officers arrived to the scene, Eason said.

The off-duty cop faces a number of charges, including aggravated assault on police officers and resisting arrest, Eason said.

Neighbors described a wild scene tonight, with several police cruisers and SWAT team equipment cramming the residential the street.

One neighbor said a young lady had recently moved into the house with her mother and young daughter.

She said SWAT officers had to break down the door to the house to gain access.

Eason couldn't confirm those details. Police Chief Thomas Comey was at the scene and ordered the detention of the officer.

He is expected to make his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court today.