A homeless man kicked a Bayonne police officer after being caught dousing the inside of a building with Butane lighter fluid, authorities said.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Patrick Marriner, 32, who is homeless, was charged with attempted aggravated arson,
burglary, criminal mischief, obstructing a governmental function and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, according to Lt. Eric Amato.
Marriner was taken into custody on Friday around 7:06 a.m. in the area of 34th Street and Avenue E. Officers responded to 34th Street and Broadway on a report that a male, later identified as Marriner, was observed writing on the hallway walls of a nearby building, police said.
Officers located Marriner, who was in possession of a bottle of Butane lighter fluid, and conducted a field investigation at 34th Street and Avenue E while additional officers responded to the scene of the criminal mischief, officials said.
At the scene, they observed numerous writing on the wall and detected a strong odor of Butane lighter fluid in the hallway. Upon further investigation, they observed that the carpeted staircase had been doused and saturated with butane lighter fluid, authorities sad.
Marriner was identified as the actor of the criminal mischief and placed under arrest. A search incident to his arrest led to the recovery of several butane lighters and a red
marker, police said.
During the arrest process at headquarters, Marriner became combative with officers and kicked an officer, officials said.
