Two New Jersey state troopers were injured with an air rifle during an altercation with a man outside a Sussex County motel, officials say.
Authorities say that troopers were called for a welfare check at the Cobmin Ridge Motel on Route 206 in Branchville around 6 p.m. on Tuesday. It was there that the troopers encountered 27-year-old Nicolas Martinez, who was staying inside one of the rooms.
Officials say that Martinez refused to leave the room and eventually started to fire a weapon at the troopers. They say that at 4 a.m. Wednesday, after multiple hours of negotiations, troopers eventually breached the motel room to take Martinez into custody. It was then that Martinez allegedly fired two rounds from an air rifle, injuring two troopers.
Martinez was then taken into custody.
“Our troopers showed phenomenal restraint while taking this suspect into custody, which prevented a deadly tragedy, and they should be commended for that,” State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan wrote in a statement.
Martinez faces multiple charges including two counts of attempted murder.
The troopers are expected to make a full recovery.