West Long Branch Man Turns Police Radio Into Deadly Weapon, Prosecutors Say

Q: When is a mobile police radio not a mobile police radio?

A: When it’s a weapon, which is what authorities say Michael J. Dougherty, of West Long Branch, turned the radio into when he used it to assault a Howell police officer.

Dougherty, 36, was indicted by a Monmouth County grand jury this week which handed up an eight-count indictment charging Dougherty with a laundry list of weapons and assault charges.

Dougherty was charged with disarming a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, making terroristic threats and resisting arrest, the indictment says.

The charges stem from an Oct. 10, 2011 incident, where Dougherty allegedly threatened three officers, assaulted one and tried to take the officer’s weapon away, according to the indictment.