A pair of Englewood police officers heroically scaled a fire escape to stop a man from beating his girlfriend in front of the woman’s six-year-old son.
When officers responded to a burglary alarm at an East Palisade Avenue business in Englewood, they came upon a domestic dispute that was occurring on a balcony above the business. Shortly after arriving at the scene, the officers were surprised to see 29-year-old Donovan Brantley Hall assaulting his 36-year-old live-in girlfriend as her young son looked on.
The officers quickly climbed up the fire escape to intervene. They found the woman suffering from an injury to her mouth. Although the young boy had no visible physical injuries, he was extremely upset.
According to police, both Mr. Hall and his girlfriend were intoxicated at the time of the dispute. Additionally, Mr. Hall violently resisted the officers when they arrested him, prompting a call for assistance from additional officers.
Mr. Hall was charged with domestic violence assault, resisting arrest, and second degree child endangerment.
The woman and her child were taken to police headquarters in Englewood. When the woman refused to cooperate with officers, she was charged with fourth degree child neglect.
In New Jersey, the penalties for assault are set forth in N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1. According to the statute, assault is a disorderly persons offense. If Mr. Hall is convicted on the assault charge, he could be looking at up to six (6) months in county jail.
After the arrest, Mr. Hall was held at the Bergen County Jail on $56,500.00 bail. The mother was released later that evening on a summons, while the boy was placed with a relative after police contacted the state’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency.
For more information, see the NJ.com article entitled “Englewood Police Arrest Mother, Boyfriend After Drunken Beating in Front of Boy, 6.”
