Man taken safely into custody after Bergen County SWAT response in Dumont

DUMONT — A 31-year-old man in mental distress, who threatened violence against any officers who came near him, caused a SWAT response in Dumont on Thursday, but was safely taken into custody, according to authorities.

The man lives in Dumont but was not there when police arrived at West Revere Drive at about 4:13 p.m., acting Dumont Capt. Vincent Tamburro said. He was taken into custody in Mahwah, Tamburro said.

“He made some statements to the Rutgers Help Line that if the police show up, he would take out any officers that show up,” Tamburro said.

Authorities contacted his parents and tried to find his location through his cellphone, eventually locating him in Mahwah. 

Haworth, Cresskill, Closter, Bergenfield and New Milford police departments responded with the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and SWAT team. 

Although the man was not actually in Dumont at the time, the SWAT response caused a stir in the neighborhood around Summit Avenue and West Revere Drive. Authorities set up near Christopher W. DeAngells Park. 

"My daughter usually rides her bike around this way all the time," Jo Ann Martin said, "and thank God she wasn’t then." 

The community faced threats of violence earlier in the year during a high-profile lockdown at the high school in February. A rifle was found at the home of a student who allegedly threatened a mass shooting there.

The Dumont residents who gathered around the police presence still find such scenes rare close to home. Both Demi Mirandi and Michaela Hrebikova were surprised when they saw all the police cars. 

"You would never really expect things like that to happen around here," Hrebikova said. 

Jim Kovacik moved to Dumont after living in Detroit and said it's a pretty different lifestyle.

"There was a fox with mange running around the neighborhood," Kovacik said, "and I think that’s the greatest problem I’ve run into so far."

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com