SOMERVILLE, N.J. (Somerset County) — A Somerset County jury has convicted a Basking Ridge man on multiple felony charges stemming from a 2023 incident in Manville in which a police lieutenant was struck by a vehicle during an attempted detention, authorities said.
Following a two-week trial, a jury on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, found Brian Niziolek, 39, guilty on nine counts contained in the indictment. The convictions include second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree eluding, second-degree burglary while armed with a deadly weapon, second-degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, third-degree aggravated assault causing bodily injury to a law enforcement officer, third-degree resisting arrest, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a knife.
The convictions stem from events on June 29, 2023, when Manville police responded to a report that Niziolek was in possession of a stolen vehicle. Police located the vehicle on Pope Street, where officers attempted to detain him, authorities said.
According to prosecutors, as officers approached, Niziolek allegedly turned his vehicle toward Manville Police Lt. John Crater, accelerated and struck the lieutenant in the arm and hip, forcing him into his own patrol vehicle. Police immediately pursued Niziolek through Manville, where he allegedly drove at speeds exceeding 60 mph and traveled the wrong way down a one-way street.
The pursuit ended after Niziolek crashed into another vehicle and then into a house on North 5th Avenue, authorities said. He then fled on foot, breaking through a basement window of a multi-unit apartment building on Brooks Boulevard, where he attempted to hide in a crawl space.
Officers from multiple agencies, including Bridgewater and Hillsborough police and a Somerset County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit, surrounded the building. Niziolek was located in the crawl space, removed and taken into custody, officials said.
A subsequent search of the vehicle Niziolek had been operating uncovered an illegal MAC-11-style 9mm semi-automatic assault firearm, an illegal high-capacity magazine loaded with 30 rounds and a bulletproof vest, prosecutors said.
Authorities said that after his arrest, Niziolek made statements expressing hostility toward law enforcement, including, “I hated police,” that police “need to die,” and that he would “kill any cop I see from now on,” along with other remarks celebrating violence against officers.
During the trial, prosecutors presented testimony from New Jersey State Police experts in DNA, fingerprint and ballistics analysis, as well as Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office experts in crash reconstruction, shooting incident analysis and mobile device forensics. Police officers and civilian witnesses also testified.
The jury deliberated for about six hours before returning guilty verdicts on all nine counts.
Following the verdict, Niziolek waived his right to a jury trial on a second indictment charging him with second-degree certain persons not to possess firearms. A judge convicted him on that charge after a bench trial held Dec. 12.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2026. Based on his prior criminal history, Niziolek faces a potential enhanced sentence as a persistent offender of up to 83 years in prison, prosecutors said.
