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DPS arrests man after pursuit in Friend Center

The Department of Public Safety charged a 30-year-old man with aggravated assault and resisting arrest on Tuesday afternoon.

Reginald Murph, of Teaneck, N.J., was arrested after a pursuit that began in the Friend Center at approximately 1:30 p.m., Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Casey DeBlasio said.

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Public Safety detective Michele Aversa first saw Murph on the third floor of the Engineering Library, and recognized him because she had previously charged him for theft and unauthorized use of credit cards stolen from the Engineering Library, according to DeBlasio.

DeBlasio added that Aversa knew of active warrants for Murph from South Plainfield and New Brunswick municipal courts.

The Department of Public Safety deferred comment to theMercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

After noticing Aversa, Murph exited the Friend Center and confronted a University patrolman waiting outside. The officer identified himself and told Murph to stop, DeBlasio said.

The patrolman attempted to physically take Murphinto custody, but he injured the officer’s leg and scratched his arms and hands before escaping the scene,DeBlasio said, adding that the patrolman was treated at and released from the hospital.

Officers from Public Safety went to the Princeton Junction train station in hopes of finding the suspect and members of the Princeton Police Department and West Windsor Police Department assisted, according to DeBlasio.

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West Windsor Sergeant Michael McMahon said Public Safety requested his department’s aid at 2:19 p.m. Sergeant Danny Mohr led WWPD’s efforts, according to a WWPD dispatcher who refused to identify himself.

McMahon deferred further comment to the Department of Public Safety, which deferred comment to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. Sergeant Steve Riccitello, the Princeton Police Department’s public information officer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Around 2:30 p.m., Murph was found and detained on Benford Drive, located in a West Windsor neighborhood called Benford Estates near the train station. He was taken into custody by West Windsor police, DeBlasio said.

She explained that after Public Safety processed Murph, he was transferred to the Mercer County Correction Center in Hopewell, where he is currently being held.

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There is no scheduled court date at this time, DeBlasio said.

Murph took credit-earning college courses through the University’s Prison Teaching Initiative in 2011 while incarcerated for the second time. Two years later, the Office of Communications published a press release about the success of his rehabilitation.

When reflecting on his experience in 2013, Murph said the University classes made him feel like a student, a feeling he appreciated while in prison. He credited the Prison Teaching Initiative with preparing him for an undergraduate career at Rutgers University and noted that education is necessary to propel forward.

Murph also spoke at a Center for Human Values panel of former inmates on April 19, 2013 as part of a conference on incarceration and communication. The event was held in McCormick 101.

Murph could not be reached for comment, as he was in a holding cell at press time.