Omar Abdeirahim, 18, refused several commands to drop the knife, but his mother somehow managed to knock the weapon down the stairs, they said.
Abdeirahim “tightened his head lock on his mother,” at which point the officers rushed him and rescued her, Detective Sgt. Ronald Klein Jr. said.
“Once in custody, [Abdeirahim] stated several times that he wanted the police to shoot him and that he wanted to die,” Klein said.
Abdeirahim had dialed 911 around 5:50 a.m, knowing that police would show up at the second-floor Garfield Street apartment, the sergeant said.
When they did, Klein said, he “grabbed his mother and put the knife to her throat, attempting suicide by police.”
Abdeirahim was taken to New Bridge Medical Center, under police guard, for an evaluation.
He was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon.
“No officers or anyone else was injured during the incident,” Klein said.
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