Officers encountered 43-year-old Wayne Carter on Sunday morning when they responded to reports of a man barricaded in a room in Hackensack and threatening to harm himself, police Lt. John Heinemann said.
Two officers kicked in the door and saw Carter in a corner, holding a knife in his hand, police said. Carter, ignoring the officers' orders to drop the knife, stood up and stabbed himself in the abdomen, legs and neck, they said.
Carter yelled at the officers and took an aggressive stance, and the officers used pepper spray in a bid to subdue him, but it had no effect, Heinemann said.
Police said Carter then cut off pieces of his skin and intestines and threw them at the officers.
The officers decided to retreat and call in the Bergen County SWAT team, Heinemann said. Carter finally was restrained and was taken to a hospital just before midnight.
No charges have been filed because of the unusual nature of the case, Heinemann said. He said he believes drug use or mental illness may have contributed to Carter's behavior, but that hasn't been confirmed.
Carter had been arrested in the past for aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
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