Authorities closed the Bergen County Courthouse on Monday afternoon after a drug court defendant allegedly kicked and damaged a water pipe, spurring flooding that injured two people.
County Sheriff spokesman Richard Moriarty says that 27-year-old Benjamin Blohm of New Milford has been charged with criminal mischief and causing a disturbance that caused widespread injury.
Moriarty says Blohm kicked a hallway water pipe around noon, following a court appearance. But it's not clear what inspired the act, or if he's retained a lawyer. He's being held on $50,000 bail.
Water soon flooded three of the court's four floors, causing a judge and sheriff's officer to slip and fall. The judge was being treated at a hospital, while the officer was treated at the scene.
Local
The courthouse was closed around 2 p.m.
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Copyright AP - Associated Press
