Pubdate: Tue, 10 May 2005
Source: New York Daily News (NY)
Copyright: 2005 Daily News, L.P.
Contact:  http://www.nydailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/295
Author: Tamer El-Ghobashy, Laura Williams And Tony Sclafani

TOUGH COP STABBED IN RAID ON DRUG DEN

A tough narcotics cop was stabbed in the shoulder by a crazed woman
wielding a steak knife yesterday when he led the charge into a Queens
crack den, police said.

Sgt. John Roach, 40, didn't even realize he was injured until he saw
blood gushing onto his bulletproof vest, sources said.

"She came out from behind the door," Roach, a 17-year NYPD veteran who
is a member of a family of cops, told colleagues. "It happened real
quick."

The incident unfolded at 6:30a.m. as Roach and a team of plainclothes
cops punched open the metal door of the seedy South Jamaica apartment.

"It's the police! It's the police!" the officers shouted.

Suddenly, Charlotte Jervis, 40, jumped out from behind the door and
stabbed Roach, who was the first cop to rush into the apartment on
148th St., near Hillside Ave., police said.

Roach was treated at Jamaica Hospital and released.

Hours later, the brawny father of three young kids slept at his Long
Island home, as relatives expressed relief.

"It was a very emotional morning," said his wife, Christine.

Roach is the son of a retired cop, and his brother, sister and
brother-in-law are on the force. "He's very lucky," said Roach's
38-year-old brother, Tommy, an NYPD highway patrolman.

Jervis, who has a 1997 assault arrest, was hit with a slew of charges,
including attempted murder. Her roommate, Norma Landaverde, 20, also
was busted on drug possession charges.

"Narcotics is a dangerous job. This is living proof of it," said Ed
Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association. "Thank God
he's alive."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin