Brian Lanzim, now living in Maine, is accused of driving to South Toms River armed with a handgun, rifle and body armor before police shot and disarmed him.
SOUTH TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A former Toms River-area firefighter who had been living in Maine has been indicted on three counts of attempted murder and a string of related charges stemming from an armed April confrontation with police in South Toms River.
Brian Lanzim, 37, of Bangor, Maine, was indicted by an Ocean County grand jury on Sept. 23, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Friday.
Lanzim has longstanding ties to the Toms River area and previously served as a local first responder before moving to Maine. Public records also identify him in earlier South Toms River emergency-services roles and a Toms River firefighter.
The indictment charges him with three counts of attempted murder, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, home invasion burglary, unlawful use of body armor and two counts of terroristic threats.
Police Were Warned Lanzim Was Driving From Maine Armed
The case began April 29 when South Toms River police responded to a home on Dover Road after authorities received reports that Lanzim had allegedly made threats involving people who lived there.
Prosecutors said police were told Lanzim was traveling from Maine to South Toms River and was armed to confront his ex at her home in South Toms River.
Officers positioned themselves near the residence before he arrived.
According to prosecutors, Lanzim then drove his vehicle across the front lawn toward an officer, forcing the officer to take cover behind a fence.
He got out of the vehicle and allegedly tried to enter a locked door of the home.
Former Firefighter Was Wearing Body Armor, Prosecutors Say
Police confronted Lanzim and found him wearing body armor and carrying a handgun, authorities said.
Officers gave him several commands that prosecutors said he did not follow. A South Toms River police officer then fired a department-issued weapon, striking Lanzim in the pelvis and hand.
Police disarmed him and immediately rendered medical aid before he was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
Rifle And Large-Capacity Magazines Found In Vehicle
Investigators later searched Lanzim’s vehicle and found a loaded rifle along with large-capacity ammunition magazines, prosecutors said.
Court reporting from the initial case identified Lanzim as a former firefighter and longtime first responder with ties to the Toms River area who had relocated to Bangor, Maine.
Grand Jury Advances Case Toward Trial
Lanzim remained hospitalized after the April shooting before being transferred to the Ocean County Jail.
He has been held there since May 4, according to prosecutors, and a judge ordered him detained pending trial during a May 8 hearing.
The new indictment means an Ocean County grand jury found probable cause for the charges to move forward in Superior Court.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Mara Brater presented the case to the grand jury on behalf of the state.
Billhimer credited the Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Professional Standards Unit, South Toms River Police Department and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their work on the investigation.