3-Hour Police Standoff, 20 Homes Evacuated In Bernardsville

BERNARDSVILLE, NJ — A 28-year-old Bernardsville man caused a more than three-hour police standoff in the borough on Thursday, according to Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson.

At around 2:37 p.m., a Mine Street family member called police for a "distraught" man with access to guns inside the home, Robetson said.

A perimeter was set up and about 20 homes was evacuated. The area of Bernards Avenue and surrounding streets were closed for about three and a half hours, according to the report.

The man was taken to an area hospital for medical evaluation after peacefully surrendering to police, Robertson said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded including Somerset County SWAT team, Crisis Negotiators and County Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS); Bridgewater Township Police Department, the Warren Township Police Department, the Far Hills Police Department, the Peapack-Gladstone Police Department, the Bedminster Police Department, the Somerset County the Bernardsville Fire Department and First Aid Squad, the Peapack-Gladstone First Aid Squad, and the Bernardsville Office of Emergency Management (OEM) CERT volunteers who assisted the evacuated residents.

Anyone with information should contact the Bernardsville Township Police Department at 908-766-0037 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-
TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or at www.scpo.net and click on either “Crime Stoppers” or “TIPS HOTLINE”. All anonymous Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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