TOMS RIVER, NJ – A man who barricaded himself, armed with a knife ended with a man slitting his own throat at a Motel 6 located on Route 37 in Toms River. Police said a tense standoff early Thursday morning didn’t end well after negotiations were “unsuccessful”.
“At approximately 10:20 AM, police units were dispatched to Motel 6 on Route 37 for a reported disorderly in progress with a barricaded suspect in possession of a knife. Upon arrival, officers attempted to communicate with the man and deescalate the situation,” according to police department spokeswoman Jillian Messina. “Unfortunately, negotiations were unsuccessful, and the man began cutting his throat with a box cutter/knife.”
Messina said, in an effort to stop the suspect from causing further harm to himself, officers forced entry into the room.
“He continued to fight with officers as they took him into custody. Due to the extent of the self-inflicted injuries, he was transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center where he underwent surgery and is listed in critical, but stable condition,” the department said in a release.
Toms River Police Chief said these types of distress situations are becoming more common and more dangerous.
“These types of calls are unfortunately more and more common and particularly dangerous to all involved,” Chief Mitchell Little said. “I would like to commend all the officers for their outstanding job in preventing a tragedy, as well as their composure and professionalism during this extremely dangerous incident.”