Long Branch Police Officer’s off-duty response helps diffuse tense situation

An off duty Long Branch police officer breaks up a hostile situation and helps make a collar.

Daniel Cunha saw a couple people holding back a man from assaulting a woman in an argument unfolding near Cedar and Ocean Avenue on January 20 around 10:00 pm.

As he was identifying himself as a police officer, Cunha spoke with the individuals in Portuguese, the language they were conversing and screaming in at the time.

Cunha is fluent in Portuguese.

The male suspect being held was allegedly intoxicated at the time.

While he was calling the incident in to headquarters one of the men started throwing fists.

Cunha blocked some of the blows and placed Matheus Tavares Emidio, 21, who reportedly stated that "it didn't matter that he (Cunha) was a cop, on the ground until CPL Robert Korn arrived.

While this was going on someone called 911 to report a fight.

Korn, unaware that Cunha was on top of Emidio, pulled him off.

Emidio then took off, running through the backyards of homes along 2nd Avenue.

Officer Chris Gant found Emidio by the Pleasure Bay Apartments where he lives.

But then Emidio ran off again, and Officer Conor Mullan along with Field Officer David Stone joined the chase.

Mullan caught Emidio as he ran on the water behind Pleasure Bay, taking him to the ground on the ice about 5 feet onto the frozen river.

Emidio struggled and police say even attempted to bite Mullan's left ear and grab his face.

Mullan, Gant and Stone all pooled together and placed Emidio under arrest.

Officer's Mullan and Stone suffered abrasions and to their hands and knees and some cuts to their uniforms while Cunha was brought to Monmouth Medical for a cut on his hand.

He landed on a rock when he took Emidio to the ground in the initial incident.

Emidio is charged with 3 counts of Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, and 2 counts of resisting arrest and a $350 warrant out of Long Branch.

He was transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was also notified and a detainer has been sent to the jail.

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