Galloway man indicted in knife attack on police

A Galloway Township man accused of attacking a police officer responding to his 911 hang-ups was indicted this week.

Keith Kiminsky, 31, "laid in wait" at his parent's home April 7, while armed with a knife , Judge Pam D'Arcy said during a detention hearing in which she ordered him held in jail.

In the body-worn camera video that captured the attack, Kiminsky's mother indicated he was suffering from a mental health issue.

A competency evaluation is still pending.

Officers were responding to three 911 hang-up calls all made from Kiminsky's phone, according to information released at his detention hearing. When dispatch called back, they got his voice mail.

Kiminsky darted out of the residence and came at Officer Erik Tarnow just seconds after his mother came out of her front door telling the officers he had a knife, video released by police at the time shows .

"My son's having (muted by video)," the woman tells Tarnow. "He's got a knife with him right now."

The detention hearing revealed the muted words were "mental health issues."

"He's got a knife?" Tarnow asks, as the woman confirms.

Just after asking where the son is, Kiminisky quickly walks out of the house toward the officer.

"Hold on. Hold on. Hold on," Tarnow says, as the body camera footage shows his hand go up to halt the man. "Stop!"

Tarnow was slashed in the cheek so deeply that his teeth showed through, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

The gash on the officer’s face was close to the carotid artery in his neck, which resulted in the attempted murder charge, according to the state.

The struggle continued for 3½ minutes, until Kiminsky was disarmed. Even then, he continued to struggle, according to the charges.

Officer Hunter Thomas, who came to Tarnow's aid, suffered a head injury and cut to his hand.

"There's more than enough to show the defendant's actions were intentional," Chief Assistant Prosecutor Erik Halayko said during the detention hearing. "This case is particularly disturbing. The

Kiminsky later told police he called because he wanted to die.

He remains in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.