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One of the men was hospitalized and the other was in custody at headquarters as detectives drew up charges and tried to determine what prompted the incident.
A Bergen County Police Department officer also was treated for a hand injury, they said.
Officers responding to the 4:47 a.m. call of a disturbance at the Hilton tried to get in after smelling smoke, but the door was locked and a desk and dresser were against it, Detective Lt. Michael Colaneri told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
Members of the Bergen County SWAT team were en route when the occupants broke a window, he said.
Afraid that the man who broke it might jump, officers rammed their way into the room and grabbed both men.
A toilet paper fire in the bathroom was quickly snuffed.
“We’re still trying to figure out exactly what happened — whether these guys were under the influence of PCP or some kind of drug or what,” Colaneri said. “At one point, they were fighting each other.
“The room was destroyed.”
Derrick Ellis, 53, of East Orange, was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with injuries sustained in the fracas.
Milton Hinton, 59, of Montclair, was still at headquarters this morning as detectives drew up charges against both.
These included charging them with arson, criminal mischief, aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
Bail was set at $50,000 each.
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