Stun Gun Used on Monmouth Man After Police Standoff

Highlands, NJ - Monmouth County law enforcement used a stun gun to subdue a Highlands man Friday after a standoff outside his apartment. The stun gun was used after he refused to surrender and threatened to shoot police officers, said a spokesman for Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

This was the first time in Monmouth County’s history a conductive energy device such as the stun gun has been used on a suspect, the spokesman said.

Jeffrey Olander, 51, a resident of the East Pointe Condominium Complex on Scenic Drive in Highlands, was arrested by members of the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team (MOCERT), Highlands and Atlantic Highlands Police Departments after he ran from police several times and eventually barricaded himself inside his apartment.

First fled from motor vehicle stop, police say

The incident began when Olander fled from a routine motor vehicle stop by an Atlantic Highlands police officer on Thursday afternoon.

The officer pulled Olander over for a routine traffic stop at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday. During the traffic stop, Olander “brake checked” the police car with his 2011 Dodge Charger, causing a minor motor vehicle collision, police said.

After speaking with the officer for a short period of time, Olander fled the scene in his vehicle. The officer pursued the vehicle into Middletown and township police joined in the pursuit.

A second motor vehicle stop was attempted on Olander’s vehicle around 3:53 p.m. in Highlands, but Olander again fled in his vehicle after stopping only long enough for the officer to exit his patrol car.

Highlands Police located Olander after he returned to his condo at around 11:34 p.m. Thursday night, and attempted to take him into custody.

Standoff begins just before midnight Thursday

From his 14th floor apartment, Olander refused to surrender and threatened to shoot police officers. Highlands Police were aware Olander owned several firearms, so they requested assistance from MOCERT and evacuated people from neighboring apartments on the same floor.

Members of MOCERT made their first contact with Olander around 3:39 a.m. Friday. During that initial contact, Olander refused to surrender and began taunting the officers before retreating back into his apartment.

Less than 15 minutes later, a second unsuccessful attempt was made to arrest Olander with the use of a K-9. At 3:57 a.m. Olander once again emerged from his apartment and it was at that time that a stun gun was used to subdue him, allowing officers to take him into custody, the prosecutor said.

“The use of conductive energy devices (CED) is a valuable tool for law enforcement and can be a lifesaver,” Gramiccioni said. “Without our ability to use CEDs, this my have ended in a very tragic way because the man was armed, acting erratically and potentially dangerous.”

Stock image/Morguefile