Drunk Man Fights Family, Resists Arrest, Cops Say

A Hopatcong man was arrested after an alleged drunken encounter where he accidentally punched a female, threatened to kill her father and resisted arrest, police said.

Jason Slater, 28, was arrested Thursday for assault, resisting, harassment for pushing a victim, and another count of harassment for threatening a victim, according to a report supplied by Lt. Thomas Kmetz.

Slater went to a woman's home on Rutgers Way to tell her parents that she had been arrested on a warrant shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, Kmetz said. The parents told Slater they already knew and said he could not come in their home, Kmetz said.

Once Slater was denied entrance, he pushed the woman's mother out of the doorway, and then her father pushed him out of the house, Kmetz said.

Slater then pushed the woman's father against the car, until she came outside to get Slater off her father, Kmetz said.

Slater went to punch the father, but missed and hit the daughter in the face instead, Kmetz said.

Slater fled the scene and threatened to kill the father once he heard the police were called, Kmetz said.

Officer Joe Magrini found Slater walking on a nearby road, Kmetz said. When Magrini went to arrest Slater, he resisted, but was then taken to the ground and handcuffed, Kmetz said.

Kmetz said Slater was taken to headquarters, charged and processed. A warrant was found out of Sussex County for failure to appear, Kmetz said. The Sussex County Sheriff's sent an officer to bring Slater to jail, Kmetz said.