Barricaded police officer planned suicide by cop, authorities say
Richard Klementovich was upset about work when he reported a civi dispute that drew police to the empty house of his ex-wife and children. He was "ready to die," he said in a note.
Barricaded police officer planned suicide by cop, authorities say
The New Jersey police officer who shot at fellow officers and locked down his former Bucks County neighborhood for 10 hours Sunday was trying to commit “suicide by cop,” according to court documents and authorities.
“Tell the police I have a surprise for them, this is the way I want to die,” Richard Klementovich texted to his parents during his 10-hour standoff at his ex-wife’s house in Doylestown Township, according to court documents released Monday.
“I get angry. Angry at this job and law enforcement,” Klementovich wrote in e-mail to his ex-wife, Jill Major, according to court documents. “And it’s them who I will take out my anger on. They will do the job I couldn’t and take my life.”
Klementovich, a 42-year-old Army veteran, ultimately surrendered and was charged with 85 counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, assault on police officers and possessing an instrument of crime.
He was being held Monday on $1 million bail, with the condition that he undergo a mental-health assessment before being released.
“He was having a bad time psychologically,” Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler said. “There was some mention that he was on disability at work” with the Clifton, N.J., Police Deparment. “There was mention that medication was involved.”
Clifton officers declined to talk about Klementovich. They did say he had been on a short, non-work-related period of time-off, but not disability,
Klementovich, in the e-mail to his ex-wife, said he was taking steroids, according to court documents. He apologized to her for his shortcomings.
The couple, who has two children, went through a bitter divorce, authorities said, with Klementovich moving out of the stately two-story brick house on Bittersweet Drive. But on Fathers’ Day, he arranged a family get-together elsewhere, returned to the empty house and reported a “civil dispute” to police, authorities said.
When police arrived, they found a note in the driveway saying Klementovich was armed with “scoped rifles, 200 rounds of ammunition, he was law enforcement and that he was ready to die,” according to court documents.
As Officer Shaun Magee told neighbors to evacuate the area, other officers and their police cars were shot at, with one officer suffering a minor wound from shrapnel, police said.
Monday, neighbors in the of Doylestown Lea development strolled the sidewalks and clustered in front yards, swapping stories as they came to grips with their ordeal.
"We weren't sure whether he was out and about in the the neighborhood or confined to his house," said Lisa Gervais, who hunkered down in her house with her husband and 14-year-old son for 10 hours.
"We kept hearing gunfire -- first I thought it was fireworks," Gervais said. "At 5 o'clock, we heard six shots." Then police called and said Klementovich was in his house, "and we were calmer after that,"
The family went to bed at 11 p.m., with police still stationed outside Klementovich's former house. Gervais knew it was over a short time later, "because I heard cars going by on the street.
"In this development, you could hear a pin drop from 2 p.m. to midnight."
Why is this behavior so shocking? Isn't the the normal mindset and behavior for men in law enforcement? Maybe he was angry about being outed for OT abusive or something else seedy and underhanded we don't know about.— EGGHEAD.
Being a Cop + Nasty Divorce + Army War Vet + Steroid Use = Anyone surprised— nonsens- THIS GUY DIDNT WANT TO DIE. otherwise he would have offed himself. he needed attention and help.— bbewsirhc
Comment removed.- Steroids and 'short-comings.'— gordon7
- Too cowardly to even take his own life, he needed the cops to do it for him. Dude has some major issues.— PhillySubsMac
- Doylestown should have called Philly, they would have tossed a satchel charge through the upstairs bathroom window from a heliocopter.— CamdenCountyReader
- scoped rifles and 200 rounds....and all he could hit was the curb and a couple of cop cars??? Lousy shot. Crummy cop.
And I read he was making $102K as a cop in Clifton?? Toss in cop bennies and this cat is almost part of the evil 1%, huh?
We all have problems dude...only the weak deal with them by wanting to off themselves. Oh the fun the boys in the state joint are going to have with this guy. They LOVE seeing cops walk through the door...more desirable than a $2K per night hooker!!!— kelprod2 - And if this guy is a Cop why does he have an orange jumpsuit prison mug shot on file?— CamdenCountyReader
- He looks like one of the infamous Cujdik Brothers of the PPD.— EGGHEAD.
- Camdencountyreader....Doylestown should have called Philly? Heck, there were about 40 different police departments at the scene (for real)...so Philly was probably involved. Cops get all giddy over these situations and get to play with all their toys.....kinda' like Christmas morning and they all want to get in on the police fun. Funny actually.— kelprod2
- Comment removed.
- I'm glad that no one got hurt. That said, this is a heck of a a way to lose one's pension and career.
- Well, Bucks County's Finest got to play with all of their taxpayer-financed toys yesterday (on OT, no less), but they botched the finale. Now, instead of spending a 25-cent bullet, we get to buy Rambo's doughnuts for the next 10 years or so while he continues on the public dole. How tragic.— Austin911SC
- If he wanted suicide by cop he just should have shot himself, I'm just saying he is/was a cop— Mtairysquirl
