Chief of Police Earl Meroney and Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on Feb. 3rd, the Plumsted Police Department was dispatched to a residence in New Egypt for a report of an irate male smashing things within the home.
Upon arrival, officers made contact with the defendant, Nicholas Markee, 31, of New Egypt. Markee was armed with two handguns, waving them in the air and acting irrationally. After ignoring the officer’s commands, police say Markee fled into a wooded area behind the home still armed.
Officials say upon speaking with the residents of the home, it was determined that Markee had fired one of the handguns into a woodpile behind the residence.
A preliminary search for Markee yielded no results; as such, the perimeter was secured and the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team was mobilized to assist in locating the defendant.
Markee was located and taken into custody by the Plumsted Township Police K-9 unit along with members of the Ocean County Regional SWAT team.
Police charged Marker with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and Criminal Mischief.
The public and the media are reminded that defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.