Bergen County Courthouse Closed Due to Flooding

Authorities closed the Bergen County Courthouse on Monday afternoon after a drug court defendant allegedly kicked and damaged a water pipe, spurring flooding that injured two people.

County Sheriff Spokesman Richard Moriarty tells The Record of Woodland Park that 27-year-old Benjamin Blohm of New Milford was charged with criminal mischief and causing a disturbance that caused widespread injury.

Moriarty says Blohm kicked a hallway water pipe around noon, following a court appearance. But it's not clear what spurred the act or if he's retained a lawyer.

Water soon flooded three of the court's four floors, causing a judge and sheriff's officer to slip and fall. The judge was being treated at a hospital, while the officer was treated at the scene.

The courthouse was closed around 2 p.m.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)