Man In 'Mental Health Crisis' Locked Self With Gun In Berkeley Home: Prosecutor

BERKELEY, NJ — A mental health crisis was handled by Ocean County authorities Tuesday night when a man locked himself in his bedroom with a gun, the prosecutor's office said.

At about 6:45 p.m., Berkeley police were called to a home on Whitaker Drive for a medical emergency, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Police Chief Kevin Santucci announced in a joint release.

A 50-year-old man, who was reported to be in a mental health crisis by his family, had locked himself in his room with a gun, authorities said.

Initial attempts to communicate with him were met with negative results, authorities said.

The Ocean County Regional SWAT Team was deployed and negotiations began to get the man to drop the weapon and surrender, officials said.

For public safety, nearby residences were evacuated, authorities said.

At about 9:30 p.m., the man left the house and was taken into custody by SWAT members without incident, officials said. He was uninjured and was taken to a medical facility for evaluation.