Kearny man was no Paul Bunyon

Police were called to Stewart Avenue and Morgan Place Sept. 1 at 9:30 p.m. on a report of a man swinging an axe during a dispute involving several individuals.

Officers Sean Kelly, John Fabula, Jay Ward and Brian Wisely responded and got a description of the man and his direction of flight from three frightened men who told police they’d fled from the man wielding the axe.

Police said the man had a verbal altercation with the other men, then apparently went home to get an axe and returned to threaten the other individuals. Police said the man began swinging the axe and, in the process, broke a section of residential fencing. The other men then “ran for their lives,” as one officer put it.

After searching the area, police said the officers located a man matching the description in a garage on Stuyvesant Avenue along with the axe nearby.

Police said the man – later identified as James Noack, 43, of Kearny – appeared to be highly intoxicated and angry.

Police said the officers informed Noack he was under arrest but after he refused to get into the patrol car, the officers applied OC spray to get him to comply.

Once placed in the back seat of the patrol car, however, Noack again became hostile and tried to kick out the rear window, police said.

At headquarters, police said Noack was treated for exposure to the spray but continued to display hostile behavior.

Noack was charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

In other incidents logged by Kearny Police during the past week:

Sept. 10

John Bradley, 42, of Kearny, was arrested by Officer Chris Levchek at 1:30 a.m. on the charge of driving with a suspended license. Police said he was stopped at Belgrove Drive and Paterson Street while driving a 1990 Buick. Police impounded the vehicle.

Sept. 6

A suspected drug dealer and an accused drug distributor were arrested at 5 p.m. on Dukes Street.

Police said detectives set up surveillance after learning that an out-of-state individual was allegedly supplying large quantities of drugs, mostly marijuana, to be sold in town. Police said they observed a vehicle with Florida plates pull up to a location on Dukes Street and met with a “known local drug violator” and the pair conducted a suspected drug transaction.

Police arrested Richard Mohammed, 26, of Jamaica, N.Y., on charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and possession of drug with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school zone and within 500 feet of a park after Mohammed allegedly tried to conceal a package contained suspected marijuana in his waistband. Police said Mohammed was also holding $200, believed to be proceeds of a drug sale.

Also arrested was Josue Campos, 23, of Kearny, after police said a search of his residence disclosed more than 100 grams of suspected marijuana packaged for sale, two scales and packaging material plus more than $11,000 in suspected drug proceeds.

Campos was charged with possession of marijauana and drug paraphernalia, with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and 500 feet of a park, use of a remotely activated paging device while engaged in a drug transaction and possession of drugs while operating a motor vehicle.

Both men were held at the Hudson County Jail on $75,000 bail each, no 10 percent cash option.

Sept. 3

Police went to the Kmart on Passaic Avenue at 4:30 p.m. on a report of a shoplifter who had fled the store. After getting a description of the suspect, Det. Ray Lopez and Officers Vanessa Sevillano and Jay Ward began a search of the area.

A short time later, police said Lopez located the individual – later identified as Mary Ackerson, 27, of Kearny – in an alley on Alexander Avenue. Police said a bag containing the items taken from the store was found nearby.

After store security personnel confirmed that she was the individual who took the merchandise without paying, police charged Ackerson with shoplifting.

Sept. 2

Police responded to a Forest Street residence at midnight to deal with complaints about a loud and out of control party. Earlier that night, police had gone to the same location and had ordered the people at the party to “cease and desist.”

Now, police said, Det. Michael Gonzalez, in uniform and assigned to a patrol unit; with Officers Joseph Martin and Steve Hroncich, tried to get the party-goers to leave.

Instead, police said, as the officers were standing in the residence’s front breezeway entrance, a man later identified as Daniel Paschoal, 23, of Kearny, slammed the door on Gonzalez, in the process shearing off the tip of the detective’s right index finger.

Paschoal was arrested on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a weapon (the door) and obstruction of a government function. He was also issued a town summons for creating a disturbance in a public or private place.

Gonzalez was taken to University Hospital, Newark, for treatment of his injury and later released.

– Ron Leir

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