SWAT bursts into home, arrests knife-wielding Toms River, NJ standoff suspect

TOMS RIVER — A man described as "emotionally disturbed" holding a large knife and bat at the front door of his home on Tuesday afternoon was taken into custody by a tactical team.

Toms River police were called to a home on Patmas Drive just after 4 p.m where a man was reported to be acting “erratically” with a bat and knives. Officers formed a perimeter around the house and got members of his family out of the house, according to police spokeswoman Jillian Messina.

The man came to the front door holding a bat and large knife but refused to come outside and closed the door, according to Messina. Officers negotiated with the man on the phone but were unsuccessful in getting him to surrender.

Messina said the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team then entered the home, located the man and took him into protective custody. The man was taken to Community Medical Center for further treatment and evaluation.

"These types of calls are unpredictable and extremely dangerous. We’d like to commend all of the first responders on scene for their professionalism and commitment to the safety of everyone involved," Messina said.

As of Wednesday morning, no charges had been filed. Messina did not disclose the identity of the man or the circumstances of the incident.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ