This gun lover carries a badge.
Port Authority cop Jeffrey Haner was busted on possession of two illegal assault weapons, including the same type of Bushmaster rifle used in the Newtown massacre, authorities said.
Ramsey, NJ, police said they took a total of 10 weapons from Haner after his wife asked for a temporary restraining order.
The 41-year-old cop, who works at the George Washington Bridge and made $175,000 last year, also had eight legal guns, including two handguns, Ramsey police said.
But Haner’s .223-caliber Bushmaster and Chinese-made Norinco rifle were fitted with accessories including flash suppressors that made them illegal assault weapons under New Jersey law, police said.
He was charged on Dec. 21 with two counts of possessing an assault weapon without a permit, police said. The maximum penalty for each charge is five years in prison.
Haner was also charged with one count of possessing high-capacity magazines, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 18 months in prison.
A source familiar with Haner’s case said he bought the guns more than 15 years ago and they were stored in a locked case.
Haner did not return a call seeking comment.
Bobby Egbert, a spokesman for the Port Authority PBA, said Haner had an “impeccable 19-plus-years career” with the department.
“It’s our hope that he is treated fairly,” he said.
Haner joined the PA force in 1993. He was among the officers who responded to the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and worked on the pile to remove debris, according to a written account by a PA sergeant.
Haner’s salary is $90,000 and, as of Sept. 30, he had earned $48,198 in overtime this year. Haner’s 2011 salary, overtime and other benefits came to $175,798, PA records show.
The PA suspended Haner without pay, making him the eighth such officer this year.
Additionally, at least three other officers were suspended with pay. A trio of PA cops who worked at the Holland Tunnel were suspended for fudging truck inspections to show they were more productive.