POINT PLEASANT BEACH — A tense New Year’s Day incident at a Route 88 hotel ended without injuries after local and county law enforcement worked for hours to safely resolve a behavioral health crisis, authorities said.
Police were called at about 9:18 a.m. on January 1 to the Rodeway Inn after an individual experiencing a mental health emergency was reported inside a room. Officers from the Point Pleasant Police Department arrived to assist the Ocean County PESS Unit and found the individual agitated and armed with a knife, police said.
To protect the public, officers secured the area and isolated the individual inside the room. Additional resources were requested as a precaution, prompting responses from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Regional SWAT Team and county crisis negotiators.
After an extended period of negotiation, the individual was taken into custody without injury to police, the public or the individual, authorities said. The person was transported to a hospital for evaluation. Charges are pending.
Police emphasized that the incident posed no ongoing threat to the community and said the large police presence was necessary to ensure everyone’s safety.
The department also thanked assisting agencies, including police from Bay Head and Mantoloking, county crisis negotiators, the sheriff’s department, the prosecutor’s office SWAT team and the Point Pleasant First Aid Squad.
Residents were thanked for their patience as officers worked to bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion.
