A city man, armed with an imitation handgun and wearing a Newark police uniform, was arrested yesterday by Essex County sheriff’s officers.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department were on quality of life patrol in the area of Heller Parkway and Highland Avenue at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, when they observed a man on foot wearing what appeared to be a police uniform and carrying a duffle bag.
Sheriff Fontoura added that the man was asked if he was and police officer and the man answered “Yes, I’m with Newark police”. However, when asked what precinct he was assigned to the man, later identified as Jaami Brantley, 36, became flustered.
Brantley then dropped his duffle bag and ran from the scene. “After a brief chase, the suspect was found hiding under a deck in the backyard of a Highland Avenue residence,” Fontoura said. “He was in the process of removing his police uniform and attempting to hide what turned out to be an imitation handgun which was similar in look to an actual police service weapon.”
A search of the duffle bag yielded a gun belt, holster, a fraudulent police ID card, a commercial police radio scanner, a yellow traffic vest and a summons book.
Brantley was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, impersonating a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and the interception of emergency police communications.
Newark municipal court Judge Sybil Elias ordered Brantley held at the county jail in lieu of a $75,000 cash bond only.
Brantley is scheduled to appear for arraignment on today.