Man With Machete And Sword Taken In During Aberdeen Standoff

FREEHOLD, NJ — A nearly five-hour police standoff with an armed suspect in Aberdeen ended peacefully when the man was taken into custody this afternoon, authorities said Saturday afternoon.

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey and Aberdeen Township Police Chief Alan Geyer jointly announced Saturday that criminal charges are pending against Wilbert Hickman, 45.

Aberdeen Township Police Officers arrived in the 50 block of Wilson Avenue shortly before 8:30 a.m. Saturday and reported they found Hickman inside a home's garage, armed with a machete, a sword, a nail gun, and other dangerous materials such as lighter fluid, according to the preliminary investigation.

The Monmouth County Emergency Response Team (MOCERT) and the Monmouth County Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) were sent to the scene as officers communicated with Hickman.

Following lengthy negotiations, Hickman was taken into custody shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday, after which he was immediately taken to a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment, a police report said.

No first responders were reported injured.

"The Prosecutor’s Office would like to thank all local and county emergency, fire, and police personnel who responded to the scene and helped bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion," a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said.

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