Damian Shirley, 35, of Hackensack, was spotted at 185 W. Englewood Ave., in Englewood, the former Salvation Army property at West Englewood Avenue and Cottage Place, at approximately 11:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, Englewood Police Detective Capt. Renee LaRaia said.

Shirley had been issued a summons for trespassing at the same property the day before, LaRaia said. The abandoned building has been the site of quality-of-life issues, including drinking, narcotics activity, and squatting, according to police.

Officers told Shirley he was again trespassing, but he refused to comply, LaRaia said. Shirley resisted when officers told him he was under arrest, threatened them, and assaulted officers during the encounter, according to LaRaia.

The officers were treated at the scene and Hackensack University Medical Center and released, police said.

Shirley was charged with third-degree aggravated assault on a police officer, three counts of third-degree resisting arrest, third-degree terroristic threats, obstruction, and trespassing.

The charges were placed on a warrant, and Shirley was turned over to the custody of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office at New Bridge Medical Center, LaRaia said.

Shirley has had several prior cases in Englewood in recent years, according to New Jersey court records. Records show he was charged with prescription or legend drug distribution in 2022, simple assault in 2021, and disorderly conduct in 2019 and 2022. More recently, records show cases involving public drinking, littering, smoking in public, and blocking a sidewalk in 2025. He also faced a 2022 DWI case in Fort Lee, along with charges for refusing a chemical test, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.


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