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Police responded to a home in the Central Ward around 1:20 a.m. on a report of an emotionally disturbed person acting violently. Video shows the two responding officers finding the 31-year-old woman, whose name was not released, sitting on the front stoop.
Officers are then seen speaking to the woman, who is visibly distraught and swearing at them. The confrontation escalated until the woman tries to leave, as seen in the video at around the 4:00-minute mark.
Officers were trying to restrain the woman until an ambulance arrived to evaluate her, the department said in a statement.
As the two officers tried to stop the woman, she is seen stabbing one of them in the arm with a knife and the second officer repeatedly in the thigh.
The woman faces charges of two counts of aggravated assault against a police officer, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. She was taken to University Hospital in Newark for evaluation.
The two officers were also treated at University.
“I commend both officers for exercising calm, respect and professionalism in the handling of this incident,” Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.
“Their exemplary demeanor is documented via their body worn cameras and clearly reflects the core values of the Newark Police Division, serving as a credit to the entire agency."
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