Red Bank’s police chief has high praise for an officer who peaceably disarmed a man who was pointing a handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets at another man early Saturday morning.
But much about the incident remains under wraps as police continue their investigation, Chief Steve McCarthy tells redbankgreen.
Charged with aggravated assault with a handgun and other criminal violations was Andrew Makuch, 25, of 16 Hudson Avenue.
According to McCarthy, Patrolman David Hicks was driving north along Hudson Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday when he heard shouting coming from 19 Hudson. Hicks entered the house through the open front door and found Makuch pointing a pistol at another man, McCarthy said.
Hicks ordered Makuch to drop the weapon, which he did after a few tense seconds, McCarthy said.
Four other officers soon arrived. Makuch was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, two counts of aggravated assault with a handgun, burglary with a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of hollow-point ammunition.
Hollow-point bullets expand on contact, causing more damage than conventional bullets.
McCarthy said that Makuch “heard screaming at the apartment, and he went there, but I really can’t say much more than that at this point” because police are still gathering information. Police have not not publicly identified the second man.
Though there was no sign of forced entry, Makuch was charged with burglary because whether or not there is forced entry, “it is unlawful to enter a structure with intent to commit a crime, and he committed a crime,” McCarthy said.
Makuch was ordered held on $95,000 bail, but apparently has made bail, as he is no longer listed as being in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
Meanwhile, McCarthy lauded Hicks for doing what he termed “a tremendous job in what could have been a very bad situation.”
