Jersey Shore man rants on Facebook during tense police standoff

MATAWAN — A man who held off police for more than 10 hours inside his Jersey Shore home on Monday did play-by-play of the standoff on his Facebook page, which also included nonsensical ramblings about serving the Queen of England and conspiracies.

Michael "Bean" Geran, 51, refused to come out of his home on Johnson Avenue in Matawan just before noon on Monday after police came to do a wellness check and learned he had a handgun, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

The prosecutor said negotiators unsuccessfully tried for several hours to talk Geran out of the house. After he stopped talking, police sent in a robot, which Gramiccioni said Geran disabled and pushed down a flight of stairs, causing more than $5,000 worth of damage.

The standoff came to a peaceful end just after 10 p.m. on Monday night. Geran was hospitalized. Gramiccioni did not disclose how the incident was brought to a close.

Geran was charged with second-degree false public alarms, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree criminal mischief.

It was one of two police incidents involving possibly emotionally or mentally disturbed men in the state on Monday. In Millville, police shot and killed a 47-year-old Edward C. Gandy Jr. after he had called 911 to say that he had a gun and was feeling "homicidal." Police later did not find any gun on Gandy.

In Matawan, Geran posted on his Facebook page messages that seemed to offer a description of what going on.

In other Facebook posts,  Geran claimed that he is a Knight Templar and a "King of the America" and serves the Queen of England.

"I go so far back in time you don't know my battles. Kings and queens blood run through my veins."

He also taunted Monmouth County Sheriff Shawn Golden in one post. "Well Sean how do you feel?" he wrote.

In a post prior to the standoff, Geran claimed Golden or Matawan police took guns he owned from his home.

Prosecutors say police had been to Geran's house before but did not provide details of previous encounters.

There are also messages posted prior to the standoff in which Geran claimed he ordered his brother out of his house because his brother wanted to steal his property and kidnapped him.  Geran said he pointed a gun at his brother when he kicked him out.

Geran also claimed that copper wiring in homes has an effect on the elderly. He also claimed to own water and air rights to the entire country and that the FBI had moved in next door.

Gramiccioni said Monmouth County MOCERT, RDF, Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, officers from the Aberdeen, Brielle, Hazlet, Howell, Keyport, Long Branch, Marlboro, Middletown, Ocean Township, Oceanport, and Wall Police Departments, Matawan Fire Department and Bayshore Emergency Medical Services all responded to the incident.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.

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