ABERDEEN – A nearly five-hour police standoff with an armed suspect ended peacefully when the man was taken into custody on the afternoon of Sept. 4, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey and Aberdeen Township Police Chief Alan Geyer jointly announced in a press release.
The law enforcement officials said criminal charges are pending against Wilbert Hickman, 45.
According to the press release, members of the Aberdeen Township Police Department responded to a home on Wilson Avenue shortly before 8:30 a.m. Sept. 4 and found
Hickman inside the home’s garage, armed with a machete, a sword, a nail gun and
other dangerous materials such as lighter fluid, according to a preliminary
investigation.
The police response quickly led to the deployment of the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team and the Monmouth County Rapid Deployment Force. Communication with Hickman was subsequently established and maintained.
Following lengthy negotiations, Hickman was taken into custody shortly after 2 p.m., after which he was immediately taken to a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment, according to the press release.
No first responders sustained an injury during the incident. Linskey thanked all of the local and county emergency, fire and police personnel who responded to the scene and helped bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion.