What charges are John Hargreaves facing? Man deliberately crashes into Independence Township police headquarters in New Jersey

As per reports by Police 1 that were released on Friday, September 29, a guy from New Jersey named John Hargreaves intentionally crashed his SUV into a house and the offices of a local police department on September 20.

34-year-old Hargreaves, who lives in Belvidere, drove into the Independence Township police headquarters, which resulted in severe damages. He reportedly crashed into the station while blasting a song by American rock band Guns n' Roses and waving his fingers upward.

As per the news release from the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, no one was hurt in the collisions. However, at least one officer narrowly avoided being struck.

According to Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer, John Hargreaves is now facing charges of second-degree for causing widespread injury or damage and first-degree for terrorism in addition to aggravated assault, criminal mischief, burglary, harassment, and weapons offenses.

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John Hargreaves has reportedly been taken into custody by the Independence Township police

John Hargreaves is now facing multiple charges (Image via Facebook / Independence Twp. Police)

Police 1 reported that Hargreaves purposefully drove his SUV into the garage of a Liberty Township home with the intention of harassing the resident, whom he knew. Then, according to Pfeiffer, John Hargreaves went to the closest police station in Independence Township and rammed into the building, which caused serious property damage. He claimed that the SUV finally came to rest in the station's squad room.

A press release from the Independence Township Police, the driver, John Hargreaves, stated:

"[John Hargreaves] deliberately crashed his gold Toyota SUV into the garage door of a private residence in an attempt to scare or harass the homeowner, whom the defendant knew, before driving to their police station and crashing through the walls.”

Prosecutors claimed that as soon as Hargreaves exited the car, he appeared to be celebrating. He then turned up the volume on the Guns N' Roses song Welcome to the Jungle as police hauled him into custody.

As per a police video, the SUV's sunroof was open as it plowed through the front doors. When the authorities approached, the footage showed Hargreaves stepping out of the stopped car and raising his arms over his head while pointing his index fingers upward. Two police officers were also seen approaching him angrily.

Officers have not revealed a potential cause for the collisions. However, they have confirmed that John Hargreaves is still detained at the Warren County jail as of Friday, September 29, pending a Warren County Superior Court hearing, according to Police 1.

As mentioned above, Hargreaves is now facing multiple charges, including one first-degree and one second-degree charges.

County judges claimed that they were unaware of Hargreaves' legal representation. An attorney who had previously defended him in court was contacted by The Associated Press through voicemail to provide comment. However, it hasn’t been disclosed whether or not they have commented anything regarding the case.

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This is not the only instance of road rage in recent times

At around 10:45 am on Sunday, September 10, 2023, in Newport News, a female driver was at the receiving end of a road rage. The female victim reported that a driver on I-64 had waved a gun at her, which prompted her to dial 911. On a Virginian highway, 58-year-old Eugene Trujillo flashed a gun at the woman's face.

Tishawna Banks, the driver, told 13News Now that she was traveling on Interstate 64 in Newport News in the eastern direction. Before he began brake-checking her through traffic, she and Trujillo got into a disagreement over who should merge first on the road. She further stated that it had occurred four or five times.

"[He] tried to get me to smack into his vehicle."

On Tuesday, September 12, Trujillo appeared in court by video, where the judge read his charges.