NJ man lit fire & seriously hurt police officer, cops say

LINDEN — An officer is seriously hurt, while two others were treated following an encounter with a 23-year-old man who set a mattress on fire, police said.

At about 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning, officers responded to the 600 block of Chandler Avenue, after family members said to officers that the man was trying to light his home on fire, police said.

As of Sunday afternoon, police did not disclose the man's identity, and would only say he was expected to face charges.

Police said the man ignited a mattress and went to leave the house, when he was confronted by officers.

The man assaulted one of the officers and ran from the scene, but was caught in the area of E. Blancke Street & Baltimore Avenue, police said.

The fire quickly was extinguished by the Linden Fire Department, according to police, who also said the officer was taken to Newark University Hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.

A second officer was treated for minor injuries and a third officer was treated for smoke inhalation at separate hospitals, police said.

The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is urged to contact Linden Police at 908- 474-8537.

It was a chaotic weekend for Linden police, after an unrelated Saturday night crash left a different officer hurt. In that accident, police said the officer was responding to a call when his police SUV struck a Toyota Camry. Both drivers were sent to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, where they were treated and released, police said Sunday.

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