South Brunswick Officer Ends Standoff With Knife-Wielding Man

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A South Brunswick police officer de-escalated an armed confrontation at an area hotel last Sunday with no injury to anyone, police said in a media release.

On March 21, police said they were called to the Marriott Hotel on Route 130 at 3 p.m., on reports of a dispute on the second floor.

Officer Raymond McCarthy found a highly agitated man with a knife trying to enter into a second floor hotel room, police said.

The man refused to drop the knife or step away from the door and said he was armed to protect himself, said police.

Officer McCarthy spoke with the man and after several minutes he dropped the knife, police said. He was taken into custody without further incident.

According to the police, the man with the knife and a guest at the hotel room had a verbal dispute that escalated to the confrontation.

Chief Raymond J. Hayducka praised the actions of the officer and said there is "tremendous scrutiny of officers’ actions nationwide."

"This case exemplifies the efforts taken daily by officers to resolve volatile situations. Officer McCarthy used time and verbal skills to get control of the situation. His efforts resolved a tense situation without injury to anyone," said Hayducka.

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