Homeowner is arrested
for assault after fire call
By libby kesil
Staff Writer
FAIR HAVEN — The scene of a fire became the scene of a crime when the resident who owns the home attempted to point a gun at a volunteer fireman.
Borough police and volunteers from the fire department responded to a report of a possible chimney fire at 14 Colonial Court on Sunday at 2:40 p.m.
According to Capt. Paul McCue of the borough police department, the house was filled with smoke from a chimney fire when the fire company arrived. Fire Chief John Feeny advised the homeowner, Arthur L. Arford, 59, to evacuate the house due to the smoke, but Arford refused, according to police.
When Feeny repeated his instructions to leave the house, Arford picked up a rifle, which had been learning against a bookcase, and allegedly pointed the gun at Feeny, police said.
According to McCue, an off-duty police officer at the scene intervened and wrested the rifle, which was not loaded, away from Arford.
Patrolman John Lehnert arrested Arford and charged him with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Assisting were Lt. Darryl Breckenridge; Detective Joseph McGovern; Patrolmen Jeff Jarvis, Robert Townshend, and John Koetzner; and Patrolwoman Sherri Lambert.
Arford was taken to the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, where he was still being held as of Tuesday. His bail was set at $10,000.
McCue said that police seized approximately 400 weapons, which were visible all over the house, and took them to headquarters.
McCue said that it required three borough trucks to haul away the arsenal and ammunition.
McCue said that police had been aware of Arford’s gun collection for some time and that all of the weapons were held legally.
According to McCue, Arford applied for permits with the borough to purchase the handguns, but the borough did not keep track of his rifles because he was able to purchase them by presenting a firearms ID and is not required to seek a permit for each purchase.
McCue was unable to confirm the number of rifles Arford owned because inventory of the weapons was still under way.