Armed Hackensack Man Arrested by SWAT After Choking Incident; Police Seize Two 9mm Guns and High-Capacity Magazines.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
HACKENSACK, NJ – A dangerous domestic incident concluded with the safe recovery of a 6-year-old child and the arrest of an armed Hackensack man after a standoff with police and the Bergen County Regional SWAT team on Saturday night.
The incident highlights the swift and coordinated response of local law enforcement to a high-risk situation involving potential domestic violence and illegal firearms.
The Initial Call: Choking and Knife Threats
At approximately 8:40 p.m. Saturday, Hackensack Police were dispatched to an apartment building following a 911 call reporting an individual had been choked by 50-year-old Kevin M. Lovett.
Officers found the victim outside the apartment with a small cut to the neck; the victim declined immediate medical attention but informed police of the escalating threat. Authorities were told that Lovett, a 6-year-old child, and a gun were still inside the residence, and that Lovett had previously threatened to kill the victim with a knife.
SWAT Response Secures the Scene
Given the report of an armed individual and a child inside, and Lovett’s refusal to open the door, officers called in the Bergen County Regional SWAT team for assistance. Hackensack University Medical Center EMS was also staged nearby.
SWAT officers successfully breached the apartment door, taking Lovett into custody without further incident. Critically, the 6-year-old child was located safe and in good health by police.
During the search of the apartment, police seized a substantial arsenal, including:
- Two 9mm handguns (one loaded, one unloaded).
- Multiple high-capacity magazines.
- Ammunition.
Serious Charges Filed in Bergen County
Kevin M. Lovett was formally charged with several serious offenses and is currently being held at the Bergen County Jail. The charges reflect the severity of the alleged crimes, particularly the recent elevation of strangulation offenses in New Jersey law:
- Second-Degree Aggravated Assault by Strangulation: This charge is a serious felony in New Jersey, carrying a presumption of incarceration due to the strong correlation between strangulation and future domestic violence-related homicides.
- Two Counts of Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
- Third-Degree Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (the knife threat).
- Third-Degree Child Abuse and related offenses.
Authorities commended the efforts of all officers involved for successfully resolving the dangerous standoff and ensuring the child’s safety.
