A man who armed himself with an axe, hid in a shed and injured two police officers was taken into custody last week, police said Wednesday.
Stewart Allay, 34, of Middle Township, has been charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, among other charges, authorities said.
Allay was reportedly “acting erratically and aggressively” towards family members on the evening of Aug. 22, according to Middle Township police.
Allay, armed with an axe, then entered a two-story shed at a residence on West Shellbay Avenue in the Cape May Court House section of the township, where he refused to communicate with police, authorities said.
Officers secured the perimeter of the shed before briefly communicating with Allay, police said. Due to the escalating nature of the situation, the Cape May County SWAT team assumed control of the scene.
The Cape May County Crisis Negotiation Team responded to assist but was unable to make contact with Allay, police said. SWAT team members entered the shed and were met with Allay allegedly swinging the axe at multiple officers.
Allay assaulted two officers and resisted arrest, but was eventually taken into custody, police said.
Allay was transported to Cooper Cape Regional Medical Center for medical evaluation. He was then lodged at the Cape May County Correctional Facility, police said.
Allay had an active warrant for his arrest at the time of the incident, police confirmed.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Victoria Gladstone may be reached at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter @TorigNJAM. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.