BARNEGAT – Local and county authorities had their hands full Friday night after a man barricaded himself in a township home, armed with a knife, threatening to harm himself. It created some panic on social media during the incident when people weren’t sure what was happening.
However, Barnegat Police Chief Keith Germain was able to use his Twitter feed to keep people updated on the situation.
Police said the family of the 42-year-old man was suffering from a mental health crisis at his Liberty Court home. They also told police that he had access to several firearms and ammunition.
Responding officers to the scene made contact with him but he refused to comply with officer commands and retreated into his home where he was alone. Police were able to reach him by phone.
The Ocean County Regional SWAT team as well as negotiators from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene.
After nearly five hours of negotiations, the subject exited the residence and was taken into custody by members of the SWAT team without incident at approximately 1:20am.
The subject was uninjured and was transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center for evaluation.
Barnegat officers obtained a search warrant and found a fully-loaded semi-automatic .223 caliber rifle, a .45 caliber handgun, a 9mm handgun, and over 1,500 rounds of ammunition.
Officers further discovered that the subject had placed ammunition near numerous windows around the home.
According to a press release, Chief Germain praised the extreme professionalism and competence of the Ocean County Regional SWAT team, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department negotiators, and responding officers from the Barnegat Police Department.
“This was a volatile and dynamic situation. I think we sometimes take for granted in Ocean County just how highly skilled, prepared, and effective our law enforcement officers are during critical incidents,” said Germain.
The Chief added, “If not for the outstanding decision-making and performance of the many officers involved, we could have easily had a different outcome this morning with tragic consequences. Instead, we have an incident that was resolved safely with no injury to the subject, surrounding residents, or officers.”
The Barnegat Police Department wishes to thank the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Ocean Township Police Department, and the many dedicated women and men of the SWAT and negotiator teams who successfully and safely resolved the incident.
