Wildwood Police responded to a call regarding a disturbance at a hotel lobby located at 3915 Ocean Avenue to find Rakesh Patel, 47, had attempted to kick in the lobby door during a dispute with his spouse. Patel tried to flee the scene in a nearby vehicle, and then engaged in a physical altercation with officers who were able to remove Patel from his vehicle. During that altercation, Patel tried to remove the officer’s weapons from their holsters. Patel was charged with 2nd degree disarming an officer, as well as various other charges related to the incident including weapons charges.
Press Release From Wildwood Police Facebook:
On Monday, September 2, 2024 at approximately 12:03 pm, Uniformed Patrol Officers of the Wildwood Police Department responded to 3915 Ocean Avenue, for a reported disturbance near the front lobby.Upon their arrival, officers were advised that a male suspect, identified as Rakesh Patel (47), attempted to kick open the lobby door during an ongoing domestic dispute with his spouse.
While searching the immediate area, officers observed Patel attempt to leave the scene in a motor vehicle parked nearby. Shortly thereafter, Patel engaged in a physical altercation with two officers who were able to remove him from the vehicle.
During this physical encounter, Patel attempted to remove both officer’s duty weapons from their holsters. Fortunately, both officers were not seriously injured and Patel was taken into custody without further incident.
During the ensuing investigation conducted by the Wildwood Police Department Detective Division, multiple items of evidentiary value were collected at the scene including the slide of a semi-automatic handgun, ten rounds of 9mm ammunition, a rifle hand grip, and a few items of Patel’s clothing. The vehicle in question is being held for investigative purposes pending the execution of a court authorized search warrant.
As a result of this investigation, Patel was charged with 2nd degree Disarming a Law Enforcement Officer, 2nd degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, 2nd degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, 2nd degree Possession of a Ghost Gun, 2nd degree Burglary, 3rd degree Terroristic Threats, 3rd degree Resisting Arrest, 3rd degree Eluding, two counts of 3rd degree Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and 4th degree Certain Persons Not to Possess Weapons or Ammunition, with possibly more charges to follow.
Patel is currently incarcerated in the Cape May County Correctional Center in accordance with the Attorney General Guidelines, promulgated in connection with the Criminal Justice Bail Reform Policies and Directives. The defendant was charged after a finding of probable cause and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
