Man Charged In Somerset Co. Stabbing, Hits Cop Car While Trying To Flee: Prosecutor

MONTGOMERY, NJ — A North Carolina man who stabbed a Montgomery resident and then hit a cop car while trying to get away was arrested on Monday, announced Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.

Brian Pyke, 65, of Calabash, North Carolina, was charged with second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree eluding, and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

On June 16, at around 1:32 p.m., Montgomery Police Officers, Montgomery EMS and Robert Wood Johnson Paramedics were called to the area of Willow Run Lane for a report of a man suffering from stab wounds.

Emergency responders provided care to the victim, a Montgomery resident, before being taken to an area hospital for stab wounds to the shoulder and abdomen. The victim underwent emergency surgery and is expected to survive, said McDonald.

Witnesses were able to provide Somerset County Communications dispatchers with a description of a man in a red sports utility vehicle fleeing the area after the stabbing. This information was shared with Montgomery Township Police officers, who then found the vehicle on County Route 533.

Officers tried to stop the vehicle; however, Pyke refused to stop, resulting in a pursuit through Montgomery, Princeton, and into South Brunswick, said McDonald.

During the pursuit, Pyke hit a Montgomery Township Police vehicle. The officers involved were not injured, said McDonald.

Pyke was arrested in South Brunswick and taken to an area hospital for minor injuries sustained from this incident, and then taken to Montgomery Township Police headquarters for processing.

Detectives from the Montgomery Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit responded to investigate.

Pyke was taken to the Somerset County Jail, where he was lodged pending a hearing on this matter.

The investigation is still ongoing by the Montgomery Township Police Detective Bureau and the
Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, however, there are no safety concerns to the community. A motive for this assault remains under investigation.

McDonald thanked members of the South Brunswick Police Department for their help with this investigation and the concerned citizens who alerted authorities and shared a description of the vehicle.

McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Montgomery Township Chief of Police Silvio Bet ask that anyone with information relating to this investigation contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Montgomery Township Police Department at 908-359-3222 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports, including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smartphone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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