Police response in Brick: Man had rifle, scared health aide, cops say

BRICK — An apparent standoff with a man at his home ended peacefully on Friday morning after causing two schools to be placed on lockdown.

Police Chief James Riccio told New Jersey 101.5 that officers arrived in the area of Chambers Bridge Road and Sprucewood Avenue after receiving a phone call about 9 a.m. from a home health aide who reported a patient had a rifle.

The aide told police she was not threatened, but she ran out of the residence because she was scared of the situation unfolding, he said.

Officers set up a perimeter around the house and working to speak with the man in the home, he said. It wasn't clear from information released by police so far what if anything he did with the rifle to scare the health aide or to prompt the police response.

Brick Township High School and Warren Wolfe Elementary School were locked down as a precaution, and authorities asked people to stay clear of the area. Riccio said there was no immediate threat to the schools.

Shortly after 11 a.m., police said the man had been taken into custody and taken to a local hospital. The lockdown on the schools was lifted.

The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department and detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutors are on scene.

Vin Ebenau contributed to this report

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

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