Man Shot By Police Drove From Maine, Threatened Ex After Breakup, Authorities, Report Say

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A man shot by South Toms River police drove from Maine to South Toms River after threatening to harm three people in the home, authorities said Thursday.

Brian John Lanzim, 37, whose address was listed as Bangor, Maine, is being held in the Ocean County Jail on three counts of attempted murder along with burglary, terroristic threats, weapons possession, unlawful use of body armor and 22 counts of possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines in the incident on Dover Road on April 29, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Lanzim had lived in Toms River until recently, and had served a volunteer firefighter in Toms River Fire Company 1and as an emergency medical technician with the South Toms River EMS, where he became a life member in 2021.

Lanzim had made threats after his former girlfriend ended their 10-year relationship, NJ.com reported. She had filed for a temporary restraining order, the report said. Lanzim responded to her telling him the relationship was over by making threats against her and others in her family, the report said.

She notified authorities that Lanzim had made threats and that he was driving from Maine to South Toms River and was armed, the report and Billhimer said.

South Toms River police were called and were at the home when Lanzim arrived shortly before 10 p.m. on April 29, Billhimer said.

The woman, who has two children with Lanzim, and others who lived at the South Toms River home were not present when Lanzim arrived, NJ.com reported.

Lanzim drove his vehicle across the front lawn toward the officers, who took cover behind a fence. He then got out of the vehicle and tried to break into a locked door of the home, Billhimer said.

The South Toms River officers confronted Lanzim, who was wearing a body armor bulletproof vest and was armed with a handgun, Billhimer said.

One of the officers fired at Lanzim, hitting him in the pelvis and hand, and police were then able to disarm him, Billhimer said.

Billhimer did not identify the officer who fired because the incident is under investigation by the office's Professional Standards Unit in addition to the Major Crimes Unit and had initially declined to release any information until the investigation was completed and reviewed by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, under a standing 2006 order from the attorney general's office regarding shootings involving police officers.

Officers rendered medical aid to Lanzim, who was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of his injuries. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail on May 4, after he was released from the hospital.

Lanzim is scheduled for a detention hearing on Friday, according to court records.

After the shooting, authorities found a loaded rifle and large-capacity ammunition magazines in his vehicle, Billhimer said.