No Threat Found in Reported Hostage Situation

An apartment complex in Mansfield Township was put on complete lockdown Friday morning, including nearby schools, as authorities investigated a potential hostage situation, Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke said.

At 8:55 a.m. Mansfield Township Police were dispatched to Alexandria Apartments across from Donaldson’s Farm on Allen Road for a report of a man holding multiple persons hostage, Burke said.

For about an hour, the area was sealed off to all traffic, buildings were evacuated and the apartment in question was targeted.

Just before 10 a.m. the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office Tactical Entry Team responded and made entry into the residence, Burke said, and found “everyone was safe and there was no threat.”

During that same time both Hatchery Hill and Hackettstown High School were put on modified lockdown, or shelter-in-place, meaning no one could leave or enter the buildings. Those lockdowns were lifted shortly after the apartment was cleared.

"We don't believe (the phone call) came from that residence," Burke told Patch. "The residents inside were totally unaware of what was going on when officers made entry."

The investigation is ongoing, Burke said, and being handled by the Mansfield Township Police Department and Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. At this time, however, Burke says any threats in this incident are unfounded.

Law enforcement agencies from Mansfield, Hackettstown, Washington Township (Morris County), Washington Township (Warren County), New Jersey State Police and the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office all responded.