HOWELL – When officers from multiple law enforcement agencies flooded the corner of Aldrich Road and Route 9 south in Howell on the morning of Aug. 24, motorists stuck in traffic near the intersection were left to wonder what was going on.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Howell Police Department reported that a caller indicated there were three armed men on a New Jersey Transit bus. A bus number was provided and police officers located the vehicle on Route 9 south.
Officers from the Freehold Township Police Department and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office also arrived on scene to assist the Howell police.
The passengers were asked to exit the vehicle and each person was patted down. A search of the bus did not turn up any weapons, according to police.
Police reported that an investigation determined an argument had occurred earlier in Freehold involving a person who was denied entry onto the bus. Shortly thereafter, a telephone call was placed to authorities reporting the armed individuals.
Police said the report was deemed not to be credible. The passengers were released from the scene and the investigation was turned over to NJ Transit police.
“The NJ Transit police take incidents like the one from this morning seriously. This is an active investigation being conducted by local authorities and the NJ Transit Police Department,” said Lisa Torbic, the senior public information officer for the department.