Violent 10-hr Standoff With Off-Duty Cop in PA Features Tank-Like Vehicle Crashing Through Backyard
- Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:58am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (The Blaze/AP) — The off-duty New Jersey police officer arrested at his estranged wife’s Philadelphia-area home faces 13 counts of attempted homicide following a 10-hour standoff in which he opened fire with a high-powered rifle.
Investigators are still trying to determine exactly what sparked the standoff in Doylestown involving a Clifton Township, N.J., police officer.
Forty-two-year-old Richard Klementovich was taken into custody late Sunday night. The standoff started just before 2 p.m. after police were called to the home over a neighborhood dispute.
Authorities say officers were under fire as soon as they arrived at the home. One officer suffered minor injuries from shrapnel. He was treated and released.
WTXF-TV has more:
The situation began Sunday afternoon at 25 Bittersweet Drive. Police were called to investigate some kind of disturbance at the home, which is located in a development off of Wells Road and Radcliff Drive and belongs to Klementovich’s estranged wife.
The officers were immediately met with gunfire, and sporadic exchanges of gunfire could be heard throughout the afternoon.
Police said one officer was struck. That officer was treated at the hospital and released.
At one point, a SWAT vehicle crashed through a fence to take a position directly behind the home where Klementovich has allegedly been firing at police officers.
Officials say Klementovich eventually surrendered to negotiators. He was arraigned early Monday on dozens of charges including aggravated assault. Court records don’t list an attorney for him.
Editor’s note: the headline of this story has been updated. The vehicle seen in the video is not a “tank” in the traditional sense (no massive gun), but rather a heavily armored vehicle called an “Armored Personnel Carrier.” Both, however, are in the same family.
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Comments (72)
capitalismrocks
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:13pmLove that tank, I want one!!! Wonder if Hummer will be coming out with that as its 2013 reintroduction model ;-)
That would be great getting through snow, and stopped traffic! :-D
Report Post »kahnmann
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:47pm@ TheBlaze…
Seriously, guys this is really getting old, every incident in the news that has a gun involves a “high powered rifle”, a “high capacity magazine” or some scary sounding firearms related term that makes liberals who know nothing about guns and people who know anything about guns cringe. “Tank like”, anyone who’s been in the ARMY for about 15 minutes knows that that thing was a converted M113 and most definitely not a tank.
Get someone on your staff who knows a thing or two about guns to proof your articles to make them sound like you know what you’re talking about and hire a vet and have them answer your questions about what that “tank like” object might be.
Report Post »Fus Patrol
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:50pm@kahnmann The Blaze is only using the same verbiage as the news crew on scene to describe the weapon used. According to the story the exact weapon info is not released. The news crew is probably just going off of the Police press release. Get off your high horse, not every news story is about gun control…and no, I’m not a closet lib against the 2nd amendment.
Report Post »eramthgin
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:45pmHow does a cop afford that house? I can see the need for an armored troop carrier. Wouldn’t want that playground equipment to attack the police. All they did was park it on the lawn what a waste.
Report Post »johnjamison
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 3:41pmThey never say why they invaded his private proterty to start with…it all sounds fishy
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:05amDidn’t the ANTI-GUNNERS SAY… ONLY COPS SHOULD HAVE GUNS
Report Post »lqtm
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:46amWhere are all the people who always talk about how all crime is committed by blacks? Oops. Go ahead reply I don’t read.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:00pmI think that the Statistics that you reference cite… that the Percentages of Crime are committed by the Lower Class, where Ethnic break down exposes that Blacks are the Highest Percentage… which is inforced by references to the US Prison Population!
I understand that you cannot admit this… because you cannot read!
Report Post »schlepnier
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:17amYou just have to love those anti-gun ownership people who think that only the police should have guns,,,,,and the police do grazy and stupid stuff like this thats sadly not uncommon.
the second ammendmant exhists to protect us from criminals, foriegn invasion and our own government, its not about hunting.
Report Post »ManThong
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:33amGee, I hope Janet Napolitany gives a few of those nifty full-tracked armored “RESCUE” vehicles to my local Gestapo er.. I mean Police Department..
..as well as a few dozen surveillance drones.
Report Post »Mutiny
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:03amWe are still screwed. It wouldnt take much to change that from “tank like” into tank. Without RPGs the cops will still out gun us. We are like cattle being sent to the slaughter house. We see the plant, we smell the death, we just havent been shot in the head yet.
Report Post »Stink Fist
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:16pmTrax cant go over barbed wire. You have to hit those things in the fuel tank. 50cal will go right through that bucket
Report Post »ManThong
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:26pmEffective…
Maybe so, but flank ‘em, gas ‘em, snipe ‘em, whatever… if you need tracked military armor to manage peacetime urban problems in America, you are doing something very wrong.
But then again, there isn’t much we are doing right nowadays.
I feel for the youngsters,.. this is their future.. armor in suburbia.
Who’s going to repair the lawn?
Report Post »Crazythistle
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:14pmThe government (DOD) is giving those APC’s to the locals that request it. The vehicles are fazed out of service with active military-so they go to the local PD. Part of Obama’s “private army” I suspect. Really- do they need APC’s? Maybe in Chicago, but not elsewhere. Even here-it didn’t play a pivotal role. They just wanted to show off their toy…AP ammo will shred those things…ask any Vet…
Report Post »MRMANN
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:13amMore wacko, tragically crazy stuff. . .
Report Post »Slowman101
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:10amVehicle looks like a surplus M113 APC. Numerous police departments use them. A relic of the Vietnam era, but still quite effective for a local police department.
Report Post »ManThong
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:37amEFFECTIVE ???
How many Viet Cong are there in your neighborhood?
Report Post »DarkShadow316
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:07pmArmored Carriers are great tools for getting close to an active shooter. Very effective.
Report Post »ronin_6
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 6:08pmM113 is still in front line use. Not a relic at all.
Report Post »searching for the Truth
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:09amEstranged wife’s home.
Report Post »Thwarkmaster
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:20pmEstranged wife’s house. Perhaps it was his house at one time. Nice neighborhood. Law Enforcement pays better than it did in Columbo’s day.
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:53amthere seems to be allot of crime by the folks that suppose to uphold the law. perhaps militarization has some nasty side effects on some people.
Report Post »strawberry411a
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:03am“A lot of crime by those….” What are you talking about? Can you enlighten us with your generalized characterization of law enforcement officers? This is the first I have read about any thing like this in years. I suppose because most murders are committed by blacks that all blacks are bad then huh?
Report Post »SLOWBIDEN
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:47am@Strawberry- You must not read the news that often . Police are always abusing their power. Like say, tasing an 80 year old women, or tasing little kids, or even tasing the “don’t tase me bro” college student just for interupting a politician during a speech.
Report Post »eagle2715
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:02am” Police are always abusing their power.”
Police are not infallible people. Just like anywhere else bad people get into the mix. Besides, even good folks are going to do something stupid at some point in there life, just like you or I will eventually or have done in the past.
What you fail to mention, is that in most of your examples the police were placed on leave, investigated, and fired…
Report Post »eagle2715
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:03amStrawberry, your talking to a guy who thinks 9-11 was committed by the same people who can’t keep a white stain on a blue dress secret…
Your better off walking over to your closest wall and smashing your head into it until you can see the other side…
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:37amobviously someone doesn’t know what a controlled demolition looks like.
Report Post »JQCitizen
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:40amMy neck of the woods. It does seem that people are losing their marbles!
Ricckky:
Report Post »You do know that women are allowed to hold jobs of their own, don’t you?:) Perhaps that’s what broke them up; maybe she made more than him and didn’t need him anymore. Ritzy areas pull Ritzy paychecks, after all. If she works for the County maybe that would explain our County Taxes, now wouldn’t it?
objectivetruth
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:39amAnyone catch the irony.The street was named bittersweet.At the corner of wells and radcliff.Dump the dead body in a well.Went off the cliff.Oh it was a bittersweet ending.Sorry my gallows humor is in full swing this morning.
Report Post »Seriously this is why we don’t want these people disarming us.
Anyone consider the fact that bath salts could be surreptitously administered?In this case possibly.Has anyone also considered that it could be used to create a spike in crime therefore justifying a police state and to disarm us in the long term?Please everyone consider it.These anti gun nazis will do, well anything to further their agenda.
SquidVetOhio
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:35amDude, I’m gonna quit writing software and get me a job as a cop where he lives. Man, look at that house! Big house and high power rifles, count me in!
Report Post »affinity
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:33amObviously the guy was a better tactician than the police and the cops weren’t willing to stop attacking him. Why do police departments attack people and than call the people they attack the bad guys? If he had attacked the police station I would say they have the right to defend themselves. In this case he had a right to defend himself.
The person(s) attacking (is/are) the offenders.
The person(s) being attacked (is/are) the defenders.
He‘s a cop so he knew if the cops got him without all of this publicity he’d be electrocuted at the least and probably killed before reaching the police station.
Report Post »PaBowHunter
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:42amIt‘s quite obvious you’re a moron……….
Report Post »affinity
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:49amIf I’m a moron what do you call a person who talks to morons? First of all you don’t know me. Second of all if you did know me you would keep your mouth shut.
Report Post »lqtm
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:45amAffinity is a moron.
Report Post »SLOWBIDEN
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:57amAffinity is a complete and total moron. I think he once ran a moronathon.
Report Post »searching for the Truth
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:32amThe guy is either an extremely bad shot or not really trying to hit anyone – I hope everyone will come out all right.
Report Post »Hades
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:29amSeriously? You guys are complaining about cops actually having a vehicle that can not be shot up by a high powered rifle so they can get close to the suspect? Do you want them to try to get close in an open-air jeep? On foot? No vest? It sounds like you just would rather see cops be killed in a “fair” fight. Hell no. You number one job out on the streets is to get back home to your family. The cops had an advantage of an APC (quit calling it a tank) that they can safely move close. If it keeps ME from getting killed, I’ll take it. And please tell me, if your in a firefight with someone who has an automatic weapon, do you want to go in with a .22 revolver? Or do you want to go in with something at least as large a caliber as the suspect’s? It’s common sense people. If you want to see what happens in that situation, go look up the bank robbery in North Hollywood that happened in the mid to late ’90s. Two suspects with body armor and fully automatic weapons against cops with revolvers and the body armor too light to matter against the suspect’s weapons. Just think how that wouldn’t have happened if the police could have responded in kind early on.
Please stop thinking as cops as part of a “police state”. That just shows you how dumb you are. As a cop, I can tell you that is completely opposite of what is true. Please, I beg you, read a little. Talk to people instead of holding up in your room sitting at your computer all the time.
Report Post »objectivetruth
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:01amNo most of us don’t want to see you underarmed.You however must acknowledge that it wouldn’t take too much modification to turn it into a military weapon.Its how police states are born.The call and order comes from the top.Its not you the individual we fear.Its how those at the top will use and abuse their authority and force you into complicity.Frankly from your post I highly doubt you would go along with something like that.You’d quit the police force and expose them.How many others though wouldn’t?
Report Post »KidCharlemagne
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:08amHades
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:29am
Seriously? You guys are complaining about cops actually having a vehicle that can not be shot up by a high powered rifle so they can get close to the suspect?
=============================================================
Happens all the time:
Lindy: “No Knock Raid”
Report Post »Baja
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:41am@HADES
Report Post »Thank you for your service. I wish mayors and city councils did more to support our LEO’s
Mutiny
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:13amGreat you are a good cop. You might be one of those type cops that will not follow through on gun confiscation and other unconstitutional things. The problem is there are a ton of cops armed to the teeth that are not like that.
I am sure you would be a lot more careful when raiding a house if you knew that citizen could have a machine gun, or 50 cal. sniper rifle, or for the police depts. with tanks a RPG. Its not to kill police for me, its for me to protect myself from cops that arent maybe like you.
Report Post »DarkShadow316
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:12pmJust remember, it took the cops in the Hollywood shooting case going down the street and getting high powered rifles from a gun store to stop them. Granted, they could have possibly taking them out with a shotgun loaded with slugs ( foot shoot, or gaps in the armor) but that would require exposing yourself long enough to aim and shoot.
Report Post »Exgijoe96
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:38pmHades, Get your facts straight about “The Bank of America heist” that you are talking about. The two assailants that committed this crime were apprehended six months prior for possesion of automatic weapons and explosives. They were released and were given these full automatic weapons back . In California, of all places ,were the regular citizen can’t own handguns or Semi auto rifles but a criminal is returned there weapons, that are illegal in all fifty states, back. Then put this plus the fact they used armor piercing rounds,also illegal in all 50. Then the private gunstore owner who armed the police out of his store to help them. Then the millions the city had to pay out because of the three officers that kept paramedics away from one of the assailants that was ,rightfully,shot twelve times .After he was cuffed and on the ground they let him lie on the ground and bleed out. Is that the example you are giving? I hope not. Don’t get me wrong I support law enforcement, But sometimes before all the facts are out ,people make assumptions about things that are completely off .
Report Post »ricckky
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:21amJust out of curiosity–Where did she get the money for such a beautiful home? The homes on Bittersweet Dr. go for min. $650.00 to over a million? On her exes policeman’s salary?
Report Post »Murkman
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:32amThat was my first question when I saw this on the news this morning.
Report Post »affinity
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:39amShe‘s probably been married and divorced two or more times and he’s her last victim. Every divorce is at least a fifty percent property settlement, usually even more) and some states collect large alimony payments on her behalf. Divorce is actually a pretty good way for an attractive woman to make a good living. Based on this house she’s hot.
Report Post »objectivetruth
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:46amMaybe she remarried.That may have been what sent him over the edge.Maybe she herself makes good money.She could afford it on her own salary.Not every woman who divorces recieves alimony and child support.In fact I dare say that those who do are in the minority at least when it comes to alimony.Too little is known about this to make a determination.I’m just interjecting some possible facts.
Report Post »DGuy
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:52pmShe sucky sucky long time…
Report Post »catholicextremist
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:20am“Tank” LOL! Hardly.
Report Post »cop4hire
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:18amThis is not a tank! It’s an APC. Armored Personnel Carrier. It is mainly used as a safe way to get close enough to talk with the bad guy or take out wounded people. It is not designed to shoot like a tank. It is also used as a breaching tool some times.
Report Post »brntout
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:14amAnd I guess you can rest easy at night knowing just maybe your public servants can go off at any time… Not all but some… Just saying… Pshyce evals anyone?
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:25amAnybody can pretty much implode as I see it. Some people either have too much pressure thrust upon them or pile it on themselves. Just read some of JZS’s posts at times and absorb some of his statements.
Report Post »KoolAidDrinker
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:28amHe was upset about his Father’s Day Tie…. Just sayin’….
Report Post »PaBowHunter
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:13amGood job by the police that responded. That was obviously like a very dangerous situation. It appears that Clinton NJ needs to reassess it’s psychological screening system.
Report Post »EODdevon
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:12amWho thinks that it is excessive that the cops have a M113 APC and full auto weapons? Protect and Serve or Crush and Order?
Report Post »PaBowHunter
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:24amI don’t. Luckily we live in a country in which we as citizens can own firearms, including rifles. I myself own many. And these rifles, especially magazine fed, are very effective weapons. It is VERY difficult to combat a trained individual armed with a magazine fed, semi-auto rifle such as an AR-15 or AK 47 if you are armed with a pistol. Don’t ask the cops to go to a gun fight armed with a handgun versus a magazine fed semi-auto rifle.
Report Post »As for the armored personnel carrier, these types of armored vehicles are common place in modern US law enforcement. And they are needed to provide the cops with protection when they respond to barricaded subjects such as this man. These cops deserve protection when one of our citizens lose their mind and start shooting at these cops. Remember, these cops are nothing more than everyday citizens like the rest of us. They are not some secret government agency who intends to enslave the American people.
1*
RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:26amSo, when the bad guys have full auto weapons of their chosen calibre the police should have popguns and sheet metal covered sedans?
Report Post »Mutiny
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:35amI dont mind cops being armed. I have a problem with American citizens not be allowed to be armed. The only way to check the power of the government is to have powerful weapons. The bad guys have the weapons, its the good guys that are not allowed to have them or have to literally jump over mountains of red government tape and pay a fortune for the good stuff.
Report Post »Athinkerinaseaoflibs
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:08amI want one of those. If one of my kids lock themselves in the bathroom, this would put an end to it.
Report Post »wingedwolf
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:08amIn case anyone really thinks we don’t live in a police state…..
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:07amPolice have armored tanks?
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:15amIt’s an M113 APC, or Armored Personnel Carrier. Julliette Huddy drove me crazy this morning calling them Police Tankers.
Report Post »brntout
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:15amUrban Assault Vehicles
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:21amand drones, and their own high powered rifles, and lots of other declassified stuff – to make you safer when they come to take your guns away.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:23amBRNTOUT, LOL, The EM50! Laughed so hard at the movie when I was stationed in Grafenwohr, that I had to go back the second night just to catch what I missed.
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