Armored Truck Saved Lives In Gloucester Township Standoff: Chief

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Gloucester Township police made use of a bulletproof armored rescue vehicle the township purchased in 2013 during a standoff with a man who threatened the lives of officers during a standoff last week.

A Clementon man was arrested last week after he threw molotov cocktails and knives at officers who responded to his home to help move an inoperable vehicle late night on Oct. 18.

“He had destroyed a vehicle in front of his house, and we were trying to remove it,” Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins said during Monday night’s council meeting at the municipal building.

When they arrived, the man began by throwing a bottle at the tow truck driver’s head, and the situation escalated from there. Harkins said he threw “everything he could out the window at the officers.”

This included an attempt to ignite a glass full of liquid police believed to be an accelerant, using a blow torch to light the window sill on fire, several knives, ceramic plates, and automotive wrenches.

“The Bearcat kept the officers safe,” said Harkins, who thanked township officials for their support of the police department.

The man was eventually arrested after a standoff that lasted more than five hours, and is getting the treatment he needs, officials said. Read more here: Man Threw Knives, Molotov Cocktails At Gloucester Twp. Police: PD

The Bearcat was the subject of much controversy when the township initially authorized the purchase for $277,986. It has been used sparingly in emergency situations, including during a 10-hour standoff in Brittany Woods in 2018. Read more here: Man Found Dead In Home After Standoff With Police: GTPD

“Some of our officers would’ve died” without the armored vehicle, Harkins said of that situation. “I don’t know what we would do without it.”

“If it saves just one life, it’s done its job,” Gloucester Township Councilman Michael Mignone said.

In an unrelated matter Monday night, Council approved further measures to protect the township’s police officers when it approved a body armor grant for $11,915.10.

In addition to thanking the township, Harkins praised the work of the Gloucester Township Public Works Department, which cleaned up the street outside the home and re-wired the home’s heater, which the man had ripped out of the wall.

“Public Works dropped what they were doing to come help,” Harkins said. “They did a great job.”