Man Brandishes Gun In Morris Twp., Takes Cops On Multi-County Chase: Authorities

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — A North Carolina man brandished a handgun during a road-rage incident Friday in Morris Township, State Police said. The incident sparked a multi-county police chase that ended with Russell T. Brown's arrest about 70 miles away from the initial affair, according to authorities.

Subscribe to Patch for local news updates to your inbox. (It's free): https://patch.com/subscribe

Police received a call just after 4 p.m. Friday that a man driving a white Chrysler Town and County exited his vehicle and pointed a handgun at him. The victim told officials that the incident occurred on Interstate 287 southbound at milepost 35 in Morris Township.

Troopers responded to the area and saw the Chrysler traveling southbound at milepost 23 and continued to follow the minivan onto Interstate 78 eastbound. They pulled over the vehicle in Bridgewater, conducting a "high-risk" motor-vehicle stop, police said.

With emergency lights activated, troopers stopped the Chrysler and used the PA system to demand the driver exit the vehicle. The driver did. But after several minutes of refusing the troopers' commands, he got back in the minivan and fled the scene, police said.

Brown, 62, took troopers all over during the chase, which included I-78, I-287, County Route 622, Route 18 and ultimately the New Jersey Turnpike, police said. During the pursuit, the man intentionally struck a State Police vehicle on Route 18, according to authorities.

Troopers stopped the Chrysler on the turnpike in Mansfield Township, Burlington County, just before 6 p.m. Friday. Once stopped, troopers ordered Brown to leave the vehicle, but he refused to exit, police said.

The troopers then physically removed him from the vehicle and arrested him. A female passenger was arrested without incident. But police later determined she was an unwilling participant and dropped the charges.

Brown, of Shallotte, North Carolina, was charged with possession of a firearm without a permit, possession of a firearm for unlawful purpose, aggravated assault, aggravated assault against a trooper, resisting arrest, eluding arrest and obstruction of justice. He was placed in the Somerset County Jail, pending a detention hearing.

The Morris and Somerset County Prosecutor's Offices are prosecuting the case.

Thanks for reading. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Morristown Patch Facebook page.