Details on Last Night’s Barricaded Subject Incident:

On February 7 at 8:17pm, officers responded to a call for service involving a 42 year old subject who was reported by his family to be in mental health crisis, armed with a knife, and threatening to harm himself. They further reported that he possessed and had access to several firearms and ammunition.

Responding officers made contact with the subject who refused to comply with officer commands and retreated into his home. Officers secured the scene and immediate area, determined the subject was alone in the residence, and established contact with the subject over the 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 applied for and were granted a Temporary Extreme Risk Protective Order with an associated search warrant for the Liberty Court home. As a result of the service of that warrant, officers recovered 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.

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.