South Toms River, N.J. — A police-involved shooting that left a Toms River firefighter wounded and facing multiple attempted murder charges will now be investigated by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office after New Jersey’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability declined to retain the case at the state level.
The decision marks a notable shift from the standard handling of officer-involved shootings in New Jersey, where the Attorney General’s Office and OPIA frequently oversee investigations involving police use of deadly force or incidents resulting in serious injuries.
“Thanks for contacting us about this. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office has been designated by OPIA as the independent investigator for this matter,” said Michael Symons, deputy director of communications and press secretary for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
The reassignment comes after Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer initially said the investigation would be handled by the state under Attorney General guidelines governing police shootings. In this case, the suspect survived after being shot twice during the confrontation.
Violent Encounter Triggered Multi-Agency Investigation
The shooting unfolded around 9:49 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, during what authorities described as a response to an alleged domestic incident in South Toms River.
Investigators have released few details about how the encounter escalated into gunfire, but prosecutors confirmed the incident involved law enforcement officers discharging their weapons during a violent confrontation.
Authorities later identified the suspect as Brian J. Lanzim, a member of the Toms River Fire Department who also served with South Toms River EMS and worked as an EMT for RWJBarnabas Health, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“He just lost it,” one person familiar with the incident said.
Despite surviving the encounter, Lanzim now faces a sweeping list of criminal charges, including multiple counts of attempted murder, home invasion burglary, weapons offenses, making threats to kill, possession of body armor during a crime, and unlawful possession of weapons.
Court records show Lanzim has remained jailed in Ocean County without bail since a May 4 commitment hearing.
State Normally Oversees Police Shootings
Under New Jersey Attorney General Directive 2006-5, investigations involving police deadly force or incidents causing serious bodily injury are typically reviewed under strict state oversight procedures.
Initially, Billhimer’s office said the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability would oversee the case, which is common when officers fire their weapons during an encounter.
The Attorney General’s Office, however, later reassigned the matter back to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office as the designated independent investigator.
The reason for the reassignment was not publicly explained.
That move stands out because OPIA often retains direct oversight in police shooting investigations, particularly when suspects suffer serious injuries from police gunfire.
Key Points
• OPIA reassigned the South Toms River police shooting investigation to Ocean County prosecutors
• Brian Lanzim, a Toms River firefighter and EMT, faces multiple attempted murder charges
• The suspect survived after being shot twice during the April 29 confrontation
Prosecutors Release Few Details
Authorities have disclosed almost no specifics about what led officers to open fire or what sequence of events triggered the exchange.
Billhimer previously cited Attorney General Directive 2006-5 when declining to release additional information.
“No further information may be released at this time,” the prosecutor’s office said earlier in the investigation.
That directive governs public disclosure during investigations involving police use of force and requires formal review before findings become public.
However, the directive applies specifically to the police use-of-force investigation and does not prevent prosecutors from filing criminal charges connected to the underlying incident.
The scope of charges filed against Lanzim suggests investigators believe the confrontation involved a broader violent episode beyond the shooting itself.
Firefighter’s Arrest Shocks Local Community
Lanzim had longstanding ties to emergency services in Ocean County.
Social media posts from Toms River Fire Company No. 1 previously highlighted his service as a firefighter, fire police member, and corporate quartermaster.
“Brian has been with us for several years in the roles of Firefighter, Fire Police and now Corporate Quarter Master,” the department wrote in a 2023 Facebook post. “Brian has been an asset to the company and continues to juggle his full time job, family and firehouse family.”
The arrest and attempted murder charges stunned members of the local first responder community, particularly because Lanzim also worked in emergency medical services.
As of Wednesday, prosecutors had not announced when additional details about the shooting investigation would be released. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit continue to lead the case under state oversight procedures.
Online, most who knew Lazim expressed shock and disbelief. Some said he had been posting dark and cryptic messages online and others say they cannot believe he would have been capable of such an act. Others expressed frustration with the initial secrecy around the matter, alleging that the shooter was given preferential treatment because of his status as a Fire Police Officer and EMT.