Standoff Ends: Active Shooter In Salem In Custody, Police Say

SALEM CITY, NJ - A suspect has been arrested following a standoff in Salem Wednesday afternoon, New Jersey State Police announced via Twitter. Police say law enforcement and the suspect were not shot. The suspect in the incident has not yet been identified.

Police reportedly handcuffed the man and brought him into custody about three hours after the standoff began near government offices in Salem City. More details were expected to be released during a press conference.

A lockdown that was in effect for Salem County offices in the area has been lifted.

"The Salem County Campus is no longer under Lock Down," Salem County officials announced on the Salem County Government Facebook page. "We would like to thank all the first responder personnel for keeping the county personnel, residents and visitors of Salem City safe, as well as each other."

The man has been identified as Eric Smith, according to 6 ABC and CBS 3. Salem Police Chief John Pelura told the networks that U.S. Marshals were trying to arrest Smith on a warrant for failure to appear in court when he fired at them at about 11:30 a.m. At least one U.S. Marshal returned fire.

After opening fire, Smith barricaded himself inside a nearby building, NBC 10 reports. Several shots were fired, but no one was hit, that network reported.

According to police, state troopers, federal, county and local law enforcement had responded to the area of 172 East Broadway in Salem City for reports of shots fired.

A negotiator was able to reach Smith, who surrendered at about 3 p.m., according to CBS 3.

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Attorney General Gurbir Grewal learned of the incident while holding a joint press conference with Gov. Phil Murphy on the opioid crisis in Camden early Wednesday afternoon.

"The best information we have right now is that it's a standoff between law enforcement and a fugitive ... that they were in the course of attempting to arrest and there were some shots fired," Grewal said before leaving the press conference, according to the Courier Post.

Grewal was also scheduled to attend a use-of-force forum in Bridgeton Wednesday night. It wasn't clear if that event would still take place.

The bottom floor of 172 East Broadway is an H&R Block tax office, and the second and third floor house apartments, according to NJ 101.5.

Salem police, the Salem County Prosecutor's Office, and the NJ Attorney General's Office didn't immediately comment on the situation.

Patch will update this breaking news story as more information becomes available.

Photo and video published with permission of CBS3