Karim M. Brunson
A 34-year-old township resident was peacefully taken into custody after a nearly day-long standoff with police on Nesbit Terrace.
Karim M. Brunson, 34, of Irvington faces charges of harassment and weapons possession from the incident. He was being detained in the Essex County Correctional Facility pending an appearance in the Essex County Central Judicial Processing Court.
At approximately 4 p.m. on Sept. 4, Irvington police officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Nesbit Terrace on reports of an armed subject, according to a statement from Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Irvington Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers.
Arriving officers encountered Brunson, who then barricaded himself in a residence on Nesbit Terrace.
Irvington officers secured the area and requested assistance from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, which sent the Sheriff’s Tactical Response Team to assist with the case.
The standoff continued to Thursday at which time the Newark Police SWAT Team responded to the scene to assist. Officers from Irvington and the sheriff’s office were able to successfully evacuate residents from the immediate area while trained negotiators from the sheriff’s office negotiated with Brunson throughout the night.
The residents were temporarily relocated with the assistance of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, the statement said.
The standoff continued into Thursday, Sept. 5, and the Newark Police Department’s Emergency Response Team also responded to the scene to assist.
The incident was successfully concluded at approximately 2:10 p.m. Thursday when Brunson was taken into custody.
Stephens praised the professionalism and restraint of all responding officers.
“The communication and cooperation amongst all of the responding agencies enabled this incident to be concluded without injuries to the public, law enforcement and the suspect,” he said.
The prosecutor also thanked the healthcare professionals from the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the concerned members of the suspect’s family, who assisted at the scene.
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