NJ man shot by cop was pointing loaded gun at officer, report says

A 23-year-old Morris County man who shot by a Butler police officer last month allegedly pointed a loaded shotgun at the officer, prompting him to open fire on the suspect, the Daily Record reported.

Dylan J. Howard, who also goes by the name Dylan Hannah, is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault, for allegedly pointing a loaded gun at police.

According to The Daily Record, court records show that on March 31, Detective Jorge Reyes fired at Hannah, who sustained four gunshot wounds. The officer allegedly opened fire after Howard pointed the loaded shotgun at him.

The Daily Record reported that according to an affidavit, Reyes and Lt. Scott Ricker responded to Hannah's grandmother's Belleview Terrace home — where he often stayed — in response to reports of  a "suspicious person" in area. Police entered the home and heard shouting, then encountered Hannah, who then allegedly pointed a loaded shotgun at an officer, the story quotes the affidavit saying.

Hannah has a long history of incidents involving law enforcement. In 2015, he was sentenced to two years and six months of probation for a burglary charge and spent 137 days in jail, according to court records reviewed by New Jersey 101.5 In 2012 he was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose as part of a plea deal that dismissed charges of aggravated assault on an officer as well as other charges including resisting arrest, hindering apprehension, theft, burglary and aggravated assault by pointing a firearm at someone.

The day the shooting took place, resident told a 911 dispatcher they'd seen a man dressed as a woman enter Hannah's grandmother's home.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.