Police Lights (Photo: Jason Rojas/Flickr)
A man holding a shotgun, reportedly to his head, on the side of a road in Toms River was taken into custody and transported to a hospital without injury, police said.
The incident, which occurred 7:15 a.m. at Northampton Boulevard and Executive Drive, prompted the lockdown at one nearby school, officials said. A driver had called 911 and reported the man, according to police spokeswoman Jillian Messina.
When officers arrived, Messina said, the man exited his vehicle, leaving the driver door open, and began “erratically walking around his truck.” Due to multiple witnesses stating they observed him holding a shotgun, officers blocked traffic and secured the area before opening a dialog with him.
“He complied with officer’s commands and stated he had no intention of harming anyone other than himself,” said Messina.
The man was detained by officers and ultimately transported to Community Medical Center for an evaluation. Officers cleared the area and confirmed there was no one else in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle yielded two shotguns, one of which was loaded, Messina said.
