Punched Woman Knocked to Ground Before Man Charged With Assault

A Morristown man was charged with assault on July 12 after Hopatcong police said he punched a woman on the side of the head with a closed fist, knocking her to the ground, on Tulsa Trail.

Chad Hendershot, 20, of Morristown, was transported to the Hopatcong police station where he was charged and later released with a summons, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said.

Police responded to the 100 block of Tulsa Trail around 6 p.m. on a report of a large fight. When officers arrived, however, no fight was ongoing, Kmetz said.

Hendershot had been loading an ATV into a truck when a car with two females pulled up and they approached him, accusing him of breaking into their home and stealing their belongings, Kmetz said.

A witness began to record the incident with his iPhone, Kmetz said, and in video footage, an 18-year-old woman is seen following Hendershot to the other side of his truck where he punched her with a closed fist. The woman was knocked to the ground from the blow, Kmetz said.

Kmetz said the 18-year-old did not file a police report on the break-ins. 

For questions on this report, email ariana-cohn-sheehan@patch.com.