[NJ] Officer Larry Martin's SWAT standoff is reversed to a misunderstanding

...Police Officer Larry Martin, 58, of Lincoln Street, had triggered a standoff with heavily armed officers who feared he was holding a woman and child against their will. But yesterday, officials backed off that claim against Martin, who has had other troubles in the past... In court yesterday, authorities said Martin had been arrested twice before, but no details were given...

OFF-DUTY COP HELD IN HOME STANDOFF
The Jersey Journal
By Ken Thorbourne
Journal Night City Editor
Friday, November 21, 2008
[Excerpts] An off-duty Jersey City police officer was arrested last night after he barricaded himself inside a Lincoln Street house with a woman and young child and held police at bay for more than an hour, officials said. The woman and child were not harmed, said officials, who refused last night to identify the officer but said they would do so today... The off-duty cop refused to let them in and they called police when it became clear a weapon might be involved, city spokesman Stan H. Eason said. The standoff continued for more than an hour after police officers arrived at the home, Eason said. The off-duty cop faces a number of charges, including aggravated assault on police officers and resisting arrest... Neighbors described a wild scene last night, with several police cruisers and SWAT team equipment cramming the residential street. One neighbor said a young woman had recently moved into the house with her mother and young daughter. This neighbor said SWAT officers had to break down the front door to gain access last night... [Full article here]

POLICE: JERSEY CITY OFF-DUTY COP ARRESTED TONIGHT AFTER TENSE STANDOFF
The Jersey Journal
Thursday November 20, 2008, 9:16 PM
[Excerpts] ...The incident at 34 Lincoln St. began around 7:30 p.m. when paramedics arrived at the residence responding to a 911 call, officials said. The off-duty cop refused to let the paramedics enter the house and they called police when it became clear a weapon might be involved, city spokesman Stan H. Eason said... [Full article here]
JERSEY CITY COPS BACK OFF 'STANDOFF' CLAIM AGAINST FELLOW OFFICER WITH TROUBLES IN PAST
The Jersey Journal
by Michaelangelo Conte
Saturday November 22, 2008
[Excerpts] An off-duty Jersey City police officer's stubbornness and failure to identify himself as a cop led to an escalating confrontation at his Heights home and his arrest on charges he punched two fellow officers, officials said yesterday. Following the incident on Thursday night, officials had said Police Officer Larry Martin, 58, of Lincoln Street, had triggered a standoff with heavily armed officers who feared he was holding a woman and child against their will. But yesterday, officials backed off that claim against Martin, who has had other troubles in the past. "After interviews, we found Martin never threatened anyone, his weapon never came into play and the (people) were never held against their wishes," Jersey City spokesman Stan Eason said last night. "All the charges against Martin are based on his actions after police officers entered his apartment." Martin, a 23-year veteran of the police department, appeared in court yesterday on two counts of aggravated assault, and one each of obstructing justice and resisting arrest. "This kind of behavior is inexplicable," said Police Chief Tom Comey... The officer has been suspended without pay and relieved of his gun, officials said. "The arriving officers got no cooperation from Officer Martin. He did not identify himself and they did not recognize him," Eason said, adding that they spoke to Martin through a closed or partially open door. "A hostage negotiator reached Martin by telephone, but the efforts were short-lived and met by noncooperation." Officers were gearing up for a serious situation, but over the next half-hour the three women and one child in the home walked out. They said there was no hostage situation and no one had threatened them. The bizarre incident began at 7 p.m. when a woman at Martin's home called for an ambulance because she was suffering chest pain, but declined treatment when it arrived, said Eason. As the EMTs left, another woman at the residence told them Martin had a gun, without identifying him by name or saying he was an officer, Eason said. "Eventually, Martin let police in, but he did not comply with their request to put his hands in the air, nor did he identify himself," Eason said. "The lack of cooperation led to a confrontation and Martin punched two officers. Martin never identified himself until backup officers arrived at the scene and recognized him." [Full article here]

SUED OVER FATAL CRASH, 2 ARRESTS
The Jersey Journal
Saturday, November 22, 2008
In 1999 Jersey City Police Officer Larry Martin was making a U-turn on Kennedy Boulevard near Bond Street when Jose Ponce Jr., 38, of Bayonne, riding a motorcycle, slammed into the side of Martin's Lincoln Town Car. Ponce, who had a wife and three children, died at the scene. Martin's driver's license had been suspended at the time. In 2002, Ponce Jr.'s widow was awarded $360,000 in a settlement after a civil lawsuit filed by attorney Francis Dorrity alleged Martin's negligence caused the crash. In court yesterday, authorities said Martin had been arrested twice before, but no details were given. [Full article here]