by Bryan Huntenburg, OCPO
PLUMSTED, NJ-Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on February 3, 2019, the Plumsted Police Department was dispatched to a residence in New Egypt, New Jersey for a report of an irate male smashing things within the home. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the defendant, Nicholas Markee, 31, of New Egypt. Markee was armed with two handguns, waving them in the air and acting irrationally. After ignoring the officer’s commands, Markee fled into a wooded area behind the home still armed. Upon speaking with the residents of the home, it was determined that Markee had fired one of the handguns into a woodpile behind the residence.
A preliminary search for Markee yielded no results; as such, the perimeter was secured and the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team was mobilized to assist in locating the defendant. The Plumsted Police K-9 unit found Markee and he was apprehended. He was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A 2C:39-4a(1), and Criminal Mischief in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C: 17-3a (1).
The Prosecutor thanks the following agencies for their participation in this investigation: the Plumsted Police Department and K-9 Unit; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Regional SWAT Team; the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit; the Jackson Township Police Department; the North Hanover Police Department; and the Chesterfield Township Police Department.